Publikation
Towards an AI-Based Therapeutic Assistant to Enhance Well-Being: Preliminary Results from a Design Science Research Project
Katharina-Maria Illgen; Enrico Kochon; Sergey Krutikov; Oliver Thomas
In: Wirtschaftsinformatik 2025 Proceedings (WI 2025). Internationale Tagung Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI-2025), Münster, Wirtschaftsinformatik Proceedings, 2025.
Zusammenfassung
Many individuals lack timely access to psychological support, increasing the demand for accessible digital interventions. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based solutions, particularly chatbots, demonstrate potential as scalable complements to therapy. In response to the growing reliance on AI for psychological support and unverified self-diagnoses, this study introduces ELI, an AI-based therapeutic assistant, offering a scientifically grounded alternative. ELI aims to complement therapy and enhance well-being by enabling users to apply evidence-based psychological strategies in daily life through real-time, low-threshold support. Adopting a Design Science Research (DSR) approach, we conducted a comprehensive literature review and expert evaluations to derive six design objectives, integrating interdisciplinary insights from information systems, human-computer-interaction, and psychology. Our findings contribute design knowledge for AI-based therapeutic solutions, paving the way for broader applications, including those in the workplace. This study marks the initial design cycle, forming the foundation for future evaluation and development within a continuous DSR process.