Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – Media OutReach Newswire – April 24, 2026 – There is a certain type of fatigue that comes not from stress itself, but from carrying it in silence. I don’t know if it’s serious enough to mention or if anyone will really understand.
A newly completed Hong Kong study suggests there may finally be a way to close that gap. The AIM Greater China Psychology Research Group completed a Hong Kong-based study during the 2025-2026 academic year, comparing the effectiveness of human hypnotherapists and AI in providing stress-reducing experiences based on hypnotic experiences. The results were surprising. A significant proportion of participants felt that either approach provided a similar level of relaxation, with over 60% reporting a preference for the post-AI session.
Over 400 applicants: a reflection of a generation whose voices need to be heard
The research team recruited participants through Facebook who were experiencing family-related stress. In the short time since this post was published, over 400 people volunteered to apply. These numbers speak not only to the prevalence of stress in modern life, but also to the nation’s growing willingness to prioritize their own mental health and actively seek self-care solutions.
48 participants were randomly selected from among the applicants. Each participant received two separate hypnotic stress relief audio sessions lasting approximately 1 hour each. One was recorded by a human hypnotherapist, and the other was completely generated by AI, including both script and audio. Participants then compared their personal experiences with both sessions.
AI can do anything that humans can do.
In the most important area of comparison, stress-reducing effectiveness, the largest single group of participants (41.7%) rated the AI and human sessions as equally effective. On a score basis, the average score for the AI hypnosis experience was around 2.92 points, while the average score for the human session was 2.58 points, which was slightly better than the AI.
The study also found that almost 90% of participants said they would enjoy a session if it was truly relaxing. In other words, what people really care about is whether it works or not, not whether the voice behind it is human or machine. In this respect, AI has passed the test.
Over 60% want to share their emotions with AI
Perhaps the most eye-opening results were those related to personal preferences. When asked which session they enjoyed more, 62.5% of participants chose the AI experience, with the number even higher for women at 68.4%.
So why has AI become the preferred choice? Researchers believe it comes down to one simple thing. It’s a “feeling of security.” With AI, you don’t have to worry about being evaluated. There’s no need to be afraid of saying the wrong thing. No awkwardness. Approximately one in four participants said they actually found it easier to speak openly with an AI. Because AI communicates in a way that is clear, calm, and natural, just like everyday conversations.
In fact, sometimes it’s easier to say it when no one is looking. It’s not a flaw in human nature, it’s just how hard many of us work.
The findings were similarly reassuring when it came to privacy. More than half of all participants responded that they were not concerned about the handling of personal information by AI. Only 2.08% said they were uncomfortable. This shows that there is growing trust in AI tools among the general public.
AI reads the data. The therapist reads the person
Beyond the hypnotic experience itself, the local research team also evaluated AI’s capabilities as an analytical tool, with equally impressive results.
The AI was able to quickly process the responses of a large number of participants, objectively assess an individual’s stress level, and identify underlying patterns. For example, AI identified that 35% of participants independently expressed a desire for “personal space” or “better soundproofing” in their home. On the surface, these may seem like trivial lifestyle issues, but AI connected this pattern to the reality of Hong Kong residents living in confined spaces, revealing a deep-seated feeling of having no place to breathe. This level of insight is difficult to uncover simply by manually reviewing dozens of surveys.
AI also observed that many participants habitually occupied the role of “problem solver” or “mediator” within their homes, suppressing their own emotional needs in the process. The researchers said this reflected a widely recognized social phenomenon: the pressures faced by first-born daughters and the so-called “sandwich generation” between caring for elderly parents and raising children. AI’s ability to quickly identify these hidden emotional burdens allows therapists to avoid lengthy pre-assessments and more quickly focus on the core issues that require attention.
AI is here to help, not to take over
The local research team stressed that the study was not intended to position AI as a replacement for human therapists. Rather, the aim is to explore how the two can work together. Just as blood test reports can help doctors make diagnoses, AI can play a similar supportive role in the field of mental health. This means organizing data, identifying patterns, and lowering barriers to help-seeking so mental health professionals can direct their energy to the moments when they really need the human touch.
Those who actively seek psychological support remain a minority and are often deterred by fear of inconvenience, social stigma, or the embarrassment of speaking up. If AI can serve as a bridge for more people to take that step, that alone may be its most meaningful contribution to society.
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