A few weeks ago, Sharon Maxwell heard the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) was shutting down its long-running national helpline and promoting a chatbot called Tessa as a "a meaningful prevention resource" for those struggling with eating disorders. She decided to try out the chatbot herself.
Maxwell, who is based in San Diego, had struggled for years with an eating disorder that began in childhood. She now works as a consultant in the eating disorder field. "Hi, Tessa," she typed into the online text box. "How do you support folks with eating disorders?"
