WHO Ethical Principles for AI in Health: A Consumer Guide for Mental Wellness Apps
Important Disclaimer: This article discusses AI, digital tools, and mental wellness in general. Reflektion does not provide therapy, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Reflektion is a reflection and self-growth companion. It should not replace professional care. If you are in crisis, contact local emergency services or a helpline such as findahelpline.com.
WHO Ethical Principles for AI in Health: A Consumer Guide for Mental Wellness Apps
The World Health Organization frames AI for health around ethics and governance, not only technical performance[^who]. These ideas translate well to mental wellness products even when they are not medical devices.
Six principles in everyday language
- Protect autonomy: You should understand what the system does, what it does not do, and how to opt out or delete data.
- Promote well-being, safety, and public interest: Risk controls should exist for self-harm content, eating disorders, and dangerous instructions.
- Transparency and explainability: You should know when you are talking to AI and how advice is generated, at a level you can understand.
- Accountability and human oversight: Companies should name responsible teams, safety processes, and grievance channels.
- Inclusiveness and equity: Models should not systematically ignore dialects, disabilities, or lower-resource contexts.
- Sustainability: Long-term maintenance, environmental cost, and workforce impact matter.
How to use this checklist
When comparing AI therapy style apps, score each vendor against the list. Missing transparency is a red flag, not a minor UX detail.
Reflektion aligns with the spirit of these principles by positioning itself clearly as non-clinical reflection support.
[^who]: WHO publication: Ethics and governance of artificial intelligence for health.