Michelle C. Ausman

California Polytechnic State University, Virginia Tech

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Michelle C. Ausman is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of artificial intelligence and mental health, whose work critically examines both the therapeutic potential and ethical boundaries of AI in clinical settings. Her landmark 2019 study, "Artificial Intelligence's Impact on Mental Health Treatments" (8 citations), broke new ground by exploring how AI—despite famously failing the Turing Test—has become a practical, transformative tool in psychology, from virtual reality exposure therapy to robotic-assisted interventions. This work established her as a leading voice on AI's real-world utility beyond anthropomorphic benchmarks. Building on this foundation, Ausman's 2023 paper, "A Preliminary Investigation of the Ethics Policy Concerns of Artificial Intelligence" (5 citations), offers a rare insider perspective by surveying AI professionals in policy roles. She identifies critical gaps in government regulation and calls for proactive ethical frameworks to guide AI development. Her contributions are particularly notable for bridging technical AI research with pressing societal needs, making her work essential reading for students and researchers navigating the complex landscape of responsible AI innovation.