AI for Addiction Recovery: Daniel Francis on Providing Empathetic & Consistent Care

Simple Tech Talk

In this episode, we’re joined by Daniel Francis, CEO of Orbiit Recovery, to explore the impact of AI on mental health and addiction recovery. Daniel shares how Orbiit uses AI to provide non-judgmental support, personalized interventions, and emotional tools to individuals on their recovery journey. With a background as a firefighter and innovator in disaster response, Daniel explains his journey into mental health, the ethical considerations of AI in therapy, and the future of AI in early intervention and personalized care. He also discusses his thoughts on using AI to overcome ideological barriers and the role of small language models in providing tailored support to diverse communities.

Chapters:

00:01 - Introduction to Daniel Francis and his journey from first responder to CEO of Orbiit Recovery

02:05 - Using AI to offer non-judgmental, personalized support in addiction recovery

04:23 - How Orbiit leverages AI’s “indifference” for consistent, empathetic engagement

07:18 - Ethical considerations and building trust in AI-based mental health support

10:26 - Adapting AI for religious and cultural sensitivity in treatment

12:22 - Personalizing recovery through feedback and real-time adaptation

15:29 - Leveraging biometrics to prevent relapses and support positive reinforcement

19:36 - AI as a core decision-maker in mental health and beyond

24:47 - Comparing AI’s adoption to the Internet era: navigating potential bubbles

30:21 - Advice for entrepreneurs on integrating AI into their businesses

Links and Resources:

• Orbiit Recovery Website
• Daniel Francis on LinkedIn
• Taran Agarwal on LinkedIn
• Simplify Tech Website