The Path, founded by Tony Robbins and Calm alums, hopes to offer safer AI therapy

When the founders of Mental, a mental health app for men, discovered that their AI interactive audio feature was resonating wildly with users, they knew they were onto something. This insight led to the creation of The Path, a new therapy-plus-coaching app that leverages AI to provide personalized support. The Path's co-founder and CEO, Anson Whitmer, reveals that famed author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins was so enamored with the startup that he joined as a co-founder.

The app has now raised $14.3 million in seed funding, led by Prime Movers Lab, where Robbins is a partner, with participation from notable investors like Apolo Anton Ohno, Deontay Wilder, and Designer Fund. Whitmer, a former early employee at meditation app Calm, was inspired to pursue mental health tech after experiencing tragic losses in his personal life. His pursuit led him to earn a PhD in psychology, and he later worked at Calm until 2021.

However, Whitmer felt that he could do more to address the unique and personal problems that individuals face. He sees large language models (LLMs) and AI as a bridge to provide personalized access and care to those in need. The Path's AI model has been specially trained to prioritize understanding and resolution over engagement, which is the opposite approach taken by consumer chatbots.

While consumer bots aim to quickly solve problems and reinforce ideas, therapy and coaching require a deeper understanding of the individual's issues. The Path's model has scored a 95 on the Vera-MH mental health safety AI benchmark, compared to a top score of 65 for consumer bots. The app allows users to choose from 11 virtual AI therapists and customize their preferences for directness and other details.

Currently free as it gains users, The Path plans to charge $40 a month. With Tony Robbins' involvement and a strong focus on safety, The Path aims to revolutionize the way we approach mental health support. The need for accessible mental health support is clear, with OpenAI reporting that at least 900 million people use ChatGPT for mental health-related queries every week.

The Path's innovative approach and commitment to safety make it an exciting development in the mental health tech space.