This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of domestic and international research trends in the field of AI counseling and propose the direction of AI counseling-related research based on them. To this end, a total of 276 articles published in domestic and international journals from 2020 to April 2025 were collected, and nine categories were established and analyzed: year of publication, age group of research subjects, group characteristics, grounded theory, type and cost of platform, AI technology utilized, treatment effect, and application area variables. The analysis showed that AI counseling research was most active in 2024, with the largest number of studies focusing on adults and general mental health populations. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was the dominant theory. Platforms were categorized into four main types, unless the platform name was mentioned, such as for homegrown research. The cost of the platforms was mostly free and open source for research purposes. The AI technologies utilized were categorized into machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), and natural language processing (NLP), with detailed algorithms and architectures. The treatment effects were mostly positive, and the areas of use were categorized into direct client support, self-understanding and growth support, and counselor empowerment and support. Based on this, the study describes the characteristics of AI counseling related research to date and provides specific suggestions for future research development.
Chung et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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