No eating disorder helpline anymore to call on the National Eating Disorder Association.
NEDA, the largest non-profit organization in the US which focuses on addressing the needs of people with eating disorders, is now ditching its phone service. An AI chatbot will now replace it.
NEDA Telephone Helpline Will No Longer Be Available
Eating disorder-focused nonprofit organization NEDA will no longer accept calls to its Helpline as it prepares to roll out its chatbot replacement.
In an early report by NPR, NEDA has axed the staff who are operating the long-running telephone helpline. With the continuous AI development in almost all industries, the nonprofit is hoping that Tessa, its AI-powered chatbot, will do the job more efficiently than humans.
Ahead of the decision, NEDA informed the staff that the disbandment would be effective on June 1. The announcement came four days after the unionization, but the organization said that it had nothing to do with it.
In a blog post by helpline associate Abbie Harper, she described AI as the new "union-busting tool." Even though NEDA told them about the changes that would happen next month, the nonprofit did not share the specifics with the affected people.
"NEDA claims this was a long-anticipated change and that AI can better serve those with eating disorders. But do not be fooled this isn't really about a chatbot. This is about union busting, plain and simple," Harper wrote.
The nonprofit has not yet answered the accusations of the staff, but NEDA spokesperson Sarah Chase emailed Gizmodo that the whole organization was "incredibly grateful" to the staff who dedicated their time and effort.
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AI Chatbot to Replace Human Helpline Team
For the past two decades, NEDA has been helping people who are facing problems with their eating disorders. The organization's mission states that it will offer its resources and unwavering support to those who struggle with these problems.
Now that the human-operated phone service will be gone in the next few days, there's no way to call the org for help. When you attempt to dial (800) 931-2237, it will only direct you to a pre-recorded menu.
"We are no longer accepting calls to our Helpline. For other contact methods currently available please check out our website," the audio says.
At the time, you can reach out to a human representative of the NEDA Helpline, yet this functionality is slated to bid goodbye on June 1. As of writing, you can call someone who can help you deal with your eating disorder.
Next week, NEDA will transition to an automated approach, specifically with the help of Tessa. The AI chatbot will assist you with your concerns about eating behaviors.
Another version of Tessa, dubbed "Tess," is more of a national support for the people. As such, US Customs has been using it to provide mental health services to patients.
NEDA can't deny that the AI chatbot is "literally" a replacement for the Helpline, but still, it insists that it's the other way around. At one time, the organization even claimed Tessa was a non-chatbot, citing that it was only an assisted simulation program.
NEDA says that Tessa's "fully implemented" version is not yet usable by the public, but it's expected to be available as soon as possible.
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