Mental health concerns linked to the use of AI chatbots have been dominating the headlines. One person who’s taken careful note is Joe Braidwood, a tech executive who last year launched an AI therapy platform called Yara AI. Yara was pitched as a “clinically-inspired platform designed to provide genuine, responsible support when you need it most,” trained by mental health experts to offer “empathetic, evidence-based guidance tailored to your unique needs.” But the startup is no more: earlier this month, Braidwood and his co-founder, clinical psychologist Richard Stott, shuttered the company and discontinued its free-to-use product and canceled the launch of its upcoming subscription service, citing safety concerns.

“We stopped Yara because we realized we were building in an impossible spa

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