Artificial Intelligence and Spatial Computing Provide Mental Health Support
Imagine a trained mental health therapist available anytime, anyplace, always ready to listen, converse and support a patient’s needs.
Impossible? Xaia begs to differ.
Xaia is an app developed over years of research by Cedars-Sinai that leverages the Apple Vision Pro platform to expand access to mental health.
Programmed to simulate a human therapist, the digital avatar offers users a self-administered, AI-enabled immersive therapy session in relaxing spatial environments such as a creek-side meadow or a sunny beach retreat where patients also can do deep breathing exercises and meditation.
Xaia, shorthand for eXtended-Reality Artificially Intelligent Ally, is described by its creators as a “quantum leap” beyond previous technologies, a transformative step in making quality therapy accessible to all.
Omer Liran, M.D., a psychiatrist at Cedars-Sinai and co-founder of Xaia, called the new app “a vision to democratize mental wellness in a way that respects the uniqueness of every individual's experience. Using the powerful capabilities of Vision Pro, we’re now able to bring this experience to life with its full potential.”
The Xaia technology was featured in a first-of-its-kind study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Digital Medicine. Findings from the study showed Xaia as both beneficial and safe for patient use.