The friend of a man who contacted SpunOut for support has said she worries that the messages he received during a crisis “seemed a bit AI generated”.
Aoife’s friend is bipolar and also has complex PTSD.
Recently on their way to work, they had a panic attack and decided to seek help from the mental health charity.
“Usually they'd use a helpline but obviously on the train there isn't the privacy to make that kind of phone call,” Aoife explained to Lunchtime Live.
“So, they were recommended a text service by their mental health nurse before; it's a government funded text service by Spun Out.”
Aoife has seen the messages he was sent by the chat service and has concerns that they “seemed a bit AI generated”.
“It came up in the chat, ‘Do you have any plans? You were talking about intrusive thoughts, that kind of thing,’” Aoife said.
“And he said, ‘Yeah, I feel like I'm just a horrible person. I have plans for January and my team are aware.’
“And the end of the chat ended with, ‘You've shown your strength today. You seem to be content with your plan for January and the peace it will bring you. I'm going to close the chat now, look after yourself.”
Aoife struggles to believe that such a message was sent by an actual human being, rather than an AI generated chatbot.
“I just I'd love to know [if it] is AI at this stage,” she said.
“Because the cutbacks have been that bad.”
'Robust training'
In a statement to Newstalk, SpunOut said they had had 50,282 conversations with 26,270 so far in 2025.
“The service is operated on a direct person-to-person basis by 160 trained volunteers, who are supported in real-time by our expert clinical staff team,” a spokesperson said.
“Our robust training procedures ensure that volunteers follow our clear protocols that guide how support is offered, how risk is assessed and how safety is prioritised.
“All engagement takes place within a structured framework that ensures consistency, quality and accountability across the service.”
Anyone experiencing difficulties with their mental health can reach out to the Samaritans on 116 123 for confidential support.
Main image: A man with mental health problems. Picture by: Alamy.com.
