Is Artificial Intelligence Your New Therapist?
DECHA WIGNESHWARA / JANUARY 2024The rise of AI usage has sparked a new wave of innovation, and Erin's design, Le Pomo, takes it to a personal level. With its therapeutic features, Le Pomo isn't just a gadget; it's your therapist and companion. Erin's vision is to use technology to help us understand ourselves better, making emotional support just a tap away.
In the bustling exhibition room of Monash’s Building G, a series of well-crafted industrial design projects vied for attention at the annual graduate showcase. Yet, amidst the sleek futuristic prototypes and sustainable product concepts, one display irresistibly drew in the guests at the opening night—a series of brightly colored apples, each as big as an adult’s hand, complete with tiny screens that lit up with different emoticons. On the poster above the plinth, among the series of concept photos of the apple in action, the title ‘Le Pomo’ seems to refer to the name of this intriguing product.
The mastermind behind this playful yet thought-provoking project is Erin Lu, a final-year industrial design student at Monash University. Two weeks after opening night, driven by curiosity and fascination, I found myself on a Zoom call with Erin herself. Framed by her bedroom, a space effortlessly styled with nods to pop culture, the 22 year-old emerging designer spoke with enthusiasm. “For me design is about telling a story through the work you make. I guess it’s more about understanding and empathising". When asked about her graduate exhibition, Erin mentioned how she valued the liberty it gave her to do anything she wanted, “Lots of room to learn, grow, explore your passion”.
“So, Erin, tell me a little bit about Le Pomo” I prompted. Erin exhaled loudly followed by a smile, seemingly prepared to let out a plethora of explanations, “Le Pomo… is a lot of things, people just think it’s something cute, but there is so much more to it” she began.
At its core, Le Pomo is a pair of half-apple-shaped robots designed as a communication tool to bridge connections between people through playful interaction and technology. By combining tactile engagement with digital expression, Le Pomo reimagines how us humans use technology to convey empathy and emotion through a simple button twist. Completing the design is a journaling app with the same name equipped with a built-in AI chatbot. The app reads through your diary entries and offers personalized feedback to uplift your mood and support your mental wellbeing.
Here’s how it works: the apple robot—dubbed Pomo, a nod to the word "pomme," French for apple, reimagined for simpler pronunciation—lets you select an emotion by twisting the dial beneath its screen. A press of the button on top sends a ping to the other apple, instantly displaying your feelings to your partner’s half of the apple. The size and control of the device is also made easy to cater for people of different age groups.
“Why it’s shaped like an apple out of all things? Apple started off as an idea of two halves to a whole, and that is reflective of communication and relationship. It can't just be one sided, it has to complete and reciprocate each other”
This idea did not just pop out of nowhere, Erin shared a really personal story on what drove her to design this product, and in my opinion, is something that everyone would pay to listen to. “Initially, the project was about exploring love in its most romantic sense, but somewhere along the way, things shifted. The relationship I was inspired by didn’t work out, and it forced me to reevaluate everything, not just the project, but also how I approached love. That change of perspective really made this project grow into something much more than that”.
“The process really put me in a challenging mental space, and it led me to therapy. But therapy isn’t as straightforward as people often think. It’s not like going to the doctor, where they prescribe something, and you’re good to go. It’s a journey of self-work, it’s nonlinear and deeply personal. And while professional therapy is great, there are still barriers, like cost and scheduling, that make therapy less accessible than it should be. At the time, I was also feeling incredibly isolated, far from friends and family, and I didn’t always feel like I could lean on them for everything. There’s only so much you want to burden others with, even if they care about you.” Said Erin who is now sitting upright away from the wall which she previously leaned on.
That’s when Erin turned to AI. For her, it felt like a low-risk way to explore her emotions, an alternative that could help process feelings without judgment or the barriers that often come with conventional therapy. While not a perfect solution, it provided a form of support during a time when she needed it most. This experience became the foundation for Le Pomo.
In an era where smartphones are an extension of our hands, technology has blurred the lines between human connection and a curated illusion of intimacy. Spike Jonze’s 2013 film Her paints a hauntingly prescient picture of this dilemma: a man falls in love with a technology-programmed entity, raising a dark thought that maybe the human race will one day be so reliant and emotionally intertwined with technology. Erin took a lot of inspiration from the movie to challenge the notion on how technology could possibly help humans thrive emotionally, but to what extent?
Erin sees technology as a means to an end, not the solution itself. It’s there to guide people toward understanding themselves better, but the real work, she believes, has to come from within. “At the end of the day, it’s you who has to push these changes,” she says, comparing it to therapy: a supportive tool, but won’t magically heal you after a session.
With Le Pomo, Erin wanted to tread carefully on the fine line between using technology as a helpful resource and allowing it to replace real human connection. That’s why Le Pomo is designed with minimal technology, the apple device itself is deliberately minimal in its use of technology. It's simple mechanism, a twist-and-press interaction encourages tactile engagement without the risk of overreliance on digital systems, “it’s a conversation starter,” Erin explains. The accompanying app, on the other hand, offers a more nuanced layer of support. While it’s far from a replacement for human connection or professional help, it serves as a bridge when no other option feels accessible. “Sometimes, having something is better than having nothing at all,” Erin says. The app includes features like journaling with AI-generated feedback, but it’s also linked to tangible support options, such as Kids Helpline and other mental health resources. This ensures that users have pathways to real-world help if they need it.
“Personally, I’d never replace real companionship with AI. That’s just lonely,” Erin says. For her, AI should enhance relationships, not replace them, especially in a society where reliance on technology is growing. She points to unsettling trends like people marrying AI-driven characters as reminders of why it’s crucial to keep technology in check, using it as a tool to build bridges, not walls.
“Last but not least, can you describe Le Pomo in 3 words?”
“Connection, Emotion, and Communication.”
Connect with Erin Lu here…