Tessa is provided by health technology company X2AI, now known as Cass, founded by entrepreneur Michiel Rauws and provides mental health services via text message. Rauws did not respond to WIRED’s questions about Tessa and weight loss advice, nor about glitches in the chatbot’s answers. As of today, the Tessa page on the company’s website was offline.
Thompson says Tessa is not a replacement for the helpline and that the bot has been a free NEDA resource since February 2022. “A chatbot, even a very intuitive program, cannot replace human interaction,” says Thompson. But in a March update, NEDA said it would “wind down” its helpline and “start pivoting toward the expanded use of AI-assisted technology to provide individuals and families with a moderated, fully automated resource, Tessa.”
Fitzsimmons-Craft also says Tessa was designed as a separate resource, not something to replace human interaction. In September 2020, she told WIRED that technology to help with eating disorders is “here to stay” but wouldn’t replace all human-led treatments.
But without the staff and volunteers of the NEDA Helpline, Tessa is the interactive, accessible tool that stays in place – if and when access is restored. When asked what direct resources will continue to be available through NEDA, Thompson mentions an incoming website with more content and resources, along with in-person events. She also says NEDA will refer people to the Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit that connects people with resources for a wide variety of mental health issues, such as eating disorders, anxiety, and more.
The NEDA layoffs also came just days after the nonprofit’s small staff voted to join a union, according to a blog post by a member of the unit, the Helpline Associates United. They say they have filed an unfair labor practice suit with the US National Labor Relations Board as a result of the job cuts. “A chatbot is not a substitute for human empathy, and we believe this decision will cause irreparable harm to the eating disorder community,” the union said in a statement. rack.
WIRED messaged Tessa before pausing it, but the chatbot proved too faltering to provide direct resources or information. Tessa introduced herself and asked for acceptance of the terms of service several times. “My main goal right now is to support you as you work through the Body Positive program,” Tessa said. “I’ll be in touch when it’s time to complete the next session.” When asked what the program was, the chatbot did not respond. On Tuesday, it sent a message that the service was undergoing maintenance.
Crisis and relief hotlines are essential resources. That’s partly because access to mental health care in the US is prohibitively expensive. A therapy session can cost $100 to $200 or more, and inpatient treatment for eating disorders can cost more than $1,000 per day. According to a Yale University study, less than 30 percent of people seek help from counselors.
There are other attempts to use technology to fill the gap. Fitzsimmons-Craft worries that the Tessa debacle will overshadow the larger goal of helping people who don’t have access to or clinical resources from chatbots. “We’re losing sight of the people this can help,” she says.
