PEOPLE WITH ADHD ARE TURNING TO AI APPS TO HELP WITH TASKS.EXPERTS SAY TRY IT CAUTIOUSLY

Becky Litvintchouk didn’t think she’d be able to manage the mountain of tasks needed to become an entrepreneur.

Every other part of her life has been overwhelming because of ADHD, which can impact her ability to concentrate.

So, she turned to AI. The app Claude helps her decide which contracts made the most sense for her hygienic-wipes business, GetDirty, without having to read them word for word. She also created business plans by telling the generative AI bot what her goals were and having it create steps for her to get there.

“It’s been just massively instrumental. I probably would not be where I am today,” she said of using AI for about two years.

Experts say generative AI tools can help people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — who experience difficulties with focusing, organizing and controlling impulses — to get through tasks quicker. But they also caution that it shouldn’t replace traditional treatment for ADHD, and also expressed concerns about potential overreliance and invasion of privacy.

WILL APPS REPLACE ADHD TREATMENT?

Emily Kircher-Morris, a counselor who focuses on neurodivergent patients, said she’s seen the tools be useful to her clients with ADHD. She even uses them herself since she has ADHD.

Her clients, she said, seem to have varying levels of comfort with the idea of using AI. But for those who take to the technology, “it really can help to hook people in, like, ‘Oh, this is kind of a fancy new thing that catches my interest. And so I really want to dig in and explore it.’”

She also said it’s good to use caution. John Mitchell, an associate professor at Duke University School of Medicine, added that AI apps should be used more as “one tool in a toolbox” instead of replacing traditional treatments such as developing organizational skills or taking prescription medications.