Funding announcement: Slingshot secures $93 million and introduces Ash as new product
In the realm of digital mental health, a new player has emerged: Slingshot AI and its AI therapy app, Ash. Ash stands out from general AI assistants by integrating clinical research, specialized psychological modeling, and ethical safeguards to provide targeted therapeutic support.
Developed over an 18-month period, Ash's psychological model is designed specifically for therapy. It learns from a large dataset of behavioral health data, encompassing various evidence-based therapeutic modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), psychodynamic therapy, and motivational interviewing.
Slingshot's clinical team refines Ash to handle the nuanced aspects of AI therapy, ensuring it understands when to challenge users, when to listen silently, how to navigate critical therapeutic moments, and when to appropriately end conversations. Furthermore, Ash uses reinforcement learning for personalization, continually improving and personalizing user support based on ongoing conversation feedback.
The company leading this innovative venture is Slingshot AI, helmed by Daniel Cahn, an AI engineer with expertise in mental health technology. Cahn, alongside co-founder and President Neil Parikh, who previously scaled Casper to significant revenue, is dedicated to providing a new type of mental health support through Ash.
Ash is not intended to replicate traditional therapy exactly but to innovate by delivering deeply personalized mental health support grounded in clinical evidence. This approach aims to expand access to therapy, especially for underserved populations.
One early user of Ash, Vanna, expresses gratitude for the app's support during a difficult career transition. Dr. Derrick Hull, a digital mental health pioneer and Clinical R&D Lead at Slingshot AI, shares Vanna's testimonial, highlighting the comfort found in using the app during a transitional period in life.
The app's training on real therapeutic interactions, as emphasized by Dr. Thomas Insel, Clinical Advisor and former head of the National Institutes of Mental Health, underscores its therapeutic potential. Insel notes that Ash's training can provide deeply personalized support.
Moreover, Ash is not just a clinical tool; it's accessible to the general public. Available as a free app for iOS and Android, Ash aims to break down barriers and make mental health support more accessible.
With Ash, Slingshot AI is taking a significant step towards innovating mental health support, leveraging AI technology to provide a new type of mental health support grounded in clinical evidence. As more and more people struggle with their mental health, initiatives like Ash could play a crucial role in expanding access to care.
[1] Source: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) [2] Source: American Psychological Association (APA) [3] Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [4] Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Slingshot AI's AI therapy app, Ash, sets itself apart by combining clinical research, a wide range of evidence-based therapeutic modalities such as CBT, DBT, ACT, psychodynamic therapy, and motivational interviewing, artificial intelligence, and ethical safeguards to offer targeted mental health support.
- Aiming to expand access to mental health support, particularly for underserved populations, Ash uses reinforcement learning for personalization, continually refining its support based on ongoing conversation feedback.
- Leveraging AI technology, Slingshot AI's Ash is a breakthrough innovation in digital mental health, offering deeply personalized mental health support grounded in clinical evidence and accessible to the general public as a free app on both iOS and Android.
