Generic AI or Nothing: Support-Seeking Patterns After Market Withdrawal of a Purpose-Built AI Wellbeing Tool

Key Findings

• — 27% named a general-purpose AI tool and 26% named no support as their main source of mental-health support after the withdrawal; 13% transitioned to professional care
• — Among the 157 respondents using general-purpose AI for mental-health support, the main stated motivations were instant access (78%) and cost (74%)
• — 60% reported worse access to support after the withdrawal, rising to 81% among those who had not sought any support since
• — The authors state that no prior empirical data existed on where users go when access to a safeguarded tool is interrupted by regulatory action

Methodology Notes

Self-selected cross-sectional survey of former users of the authors' own product (Slingshot AI's Ash), with free-text coding (n=272 responses); no comparison group; outcomes self-reported. OSF record: created 29 March 2026, published 30 March 2026, moderation state accepted, version 1, no DOI recorded. Verified through the OSF API (the osf.io page is a client-rendered shell); the abstract figures match the company's research summary page dated 16 September 2026, which is how the preprint surfaced.

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