OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — About 2,400 Kaiser Permanente mental health professionals were striking Wednesday in Northern California over concerns that the health care giant is replacing therapists with artificial intelligence.
Kaiser says the union claim is false and AI will not replace human assessment or make care decisions for patients. Facilities are open, the company said. The two sides have been negotiating a new contract since last summer.
The mental health professionals were joined in their one-day strike by more than 23,000 Kaiser nurses. The therapists, who include social workers and psychologists, provide mental health and addiction medicine treatment for an estimated 4.6 million patients in the San Francisco Bay Area, central valley and Sacramento regions.
Oakland-based Kaiser does not currently use AI for therapy, but the National Union of Healthcare Workers fears the technology will become good enough to make it an attractive option for the company.
Dr. Emma Olsen, a psychiatrist at Kaiser in Vallejo and a union steward, said the union is also pushing back on management demands to curb time spent on patient notes or answering patient messages.
“They're trying to take all that time away. They really just want us to be seeing people back to back to back, to be seeing more people for less time with less resources,” she said.
Katy Roemer, a nurse in adult and family medicine, said the California Nurses Association shares concerns raised by mental health professionals and want to ensure that humans provide care for other humans.
“Is AI going to benefit patients? Is AI going to benefit the people that work for Kaiser Permanente? Or is AI going to benefit the bottom line of the corporation?” she said. “So we want AI that’s transparent, that is allowing people to do their jobs.”
In a message sent this week to employees, management said they have hired more mental health workers.
“We see technology — and AI, in particular — as a way to support you in managing your practice and provide you with tools that facilitate greater access to care and connection with patients,” reads the message sent on behalf of Lionel Sims, senior vice president, Human Resources, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, and Priya Smith, chief employee human resources officer, The Permanente Medical Group.
In 2023, Kaiser agreed to a $200 million settlement with the California Department of Managed Health Care over violations of state mental health laws.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, is a fas… Read moreAragon High School Theatre presents "Puffs"
Join us for this fun community gathering. There will be a resource fair, music and a raffle.… Read moreBelmont Senior Showcase
Art Without An Artist: Can AI Be Considered An Artist? Read moreART WITHOUT AN ARTIST: Can AI be Considered an Artist?
Ready to dive into the world of Accessory Dwelling Units? Join us in person for a casual, in… Read moreBuild Your ADU Seminar: From Permits to Keys
Exclusive film screening in San Mateo Read moreA LITTLE FELLOW: THE LEGACY OF A.P.GIANNINI
Planning your dream wedding? Discover everything you need at the Wedding Fair in the Park – … Read moreWedding Fair in the Park
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.