Do AI CARE? AI as a Listener to Trauma Testimony

About the Lecture

The idea that giving testimony before an external 'witness' is an essential component of coping with trauma is a cornerstone of the field's central theories. The witness is not merely a passive listener - they are an active partner in building a coherent narrative, validating reality, and easing the existential loneliness that trauma creates. But what happens when this deep need meets the reality of a 'listening crisis' - a reality in which listening to the pain of trauma is not always possible? Into this reality steps artificial intelligence, offering itself as an 'algorithmic ear.' People are already using it, and that obliges us to develop tools for thoughtful observation of the phenomenon. Instead of a dichotomous 'good' or 'bad' debate, this lecture presents the AI CARE model - a systematic framework built on those same theoretical foundations - to analyze AI's role as a listener to…