It is advantageous to know the pros and cons of AI before using it in clinical practice.

Computer or app-based cognitive training programs can track performance and provide feedback.

AI is often used to create disability-friendly technology.

By Maria J. Palmeri, Ph.D., and Robert M. Gordon, Psy.D.

Artificial intelligence (AI) was not a formal or informal part of my graduate school training, yet AI is increasingly utilized in present research, clinical work, and healthcare. While it brings excitement and possibility, it also elicits feelings of uncertainty about ethics, biases, and overreliance in the field and beyond.

The term “artificial intelligence” was first used in 1955 at the Dartmouth Research Conference, organized by John McCarthy, the goal of which was to “proceed on the basis of the conjecture that every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it” (McCarthy et al., 1955). Current definitions of AI refer to the system or digital interface that is created to mimic human intelligence to perform tasks.

Since 1955, forms of AI have been integrated into the field of science and medicine, ranging from a Stanford’s research group’s computer system built on “if-then” technology, to recommending antibiotics for various infectious diseases in the 1970s, to the development of electronic health record tools to improve efficiency and decision support in the 1990s and early 2000s, and recently developed deep learning and generative models that we know today (e.g., recurrent neural networks, language learning models [LLMs] (Alnattah et al., 2025).

Benefits of AI in Rehabilitation

With the seismic boom of AI in the modern age, it is easy to forget that it expands beyond LLMs such as ChatGPT, Meta, and Grok. For example, computer or app-based cognitive training programs that utilize adaptive algorithms, track performance, and provide real-time feedback can be incorporated into cognitive rehabilitation, allowing for additional practice and consolidation outside of in-person sessions.

AI-based assessments and screening technology for cognitive and psychological disorders are being integrated into some healthcare systems for data collection. Furthermore, AI is often used to create disability-friendly technology (e.g.,........

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