Smartphone-Based Conversational Agents and Responses to Questions About Mental Health, Interpersonal Violence, and Physical Health

Abstract

More than 200 million adults in the United States own a smartphone, and 62% use their phone to obtain health information.¹ Conversational agents, such as Siri (Apple), Google Now, S Voice (Samsung), and Cortana (Microsoft), are smartphone-based computer programs designed to respond to users in natural language, thereby mimicking conversations between people. These applications can facilitate information searches, answer questions, make recommendations, and respond to certain requests. They can also have an impact on health behaviors. Siri, the speech interpretation and recognition interface that is part of Apple Inc’s iOS, has been available since 2011. On verbal command, Siri can direct the user to the nearest hospital for physical health concerns. Siri also responds to emotional concerns—showing empathy when a user is sad, and encouraging a user to talk to someone if depressed. If suicide is brought up, Siri springs to action: she provides the phone number of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and offers to call. Siri, however, has not heard of rape or domestic violence.