From Skepticism to Support: Addressing Clinician and Patient Concerns About AI in Eating Disorder Care

While Linardon and colleagues reveal cautious attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) in eating disorder care, our recent empirical evidence suggests that specialized, expert-developed AI interventions can effectively support individuals at risk for eating disorders. However, unlike specialized AI, general-purpose AI (systems designed for broad tasks without specific clinical fine-tuning) often produces harmful content for eating disorder-related prompts, highlighting the need for specialized systems with strong ethical guardrails. Responsible AI integration requires balancing legitimate clinical concerns with evidence-based implementation, positioning AI not as a replacement for human providers, but as a complementary tool to expand access to quality care for the many individuals unable to receive traditional treatment.