Advances in artificial intelligence and computer modeling are allowing therapists to practice “cybertherapy” more effectively, using virtual environments to help people work through phobias, like a fear of heights or of public spaces.

Researchers are populating digital worlds with autonomous, virtual humans that can evoke the same tensions as in real-life encounters. People with social anxiety are struck dumb when asked questions by a virtual stranger. Heavy drinkers feel strong urges to order something from a virtual bartender, while gamblers are drawn to sit down and join a group playing on virtual slot machines.

In a recent study,  researchers at USC found that a virtual confidant elicits from people the crucial first element in any therapy: self-disclosure.The researchers are incorporating the techniques learned from this research into a virtual agent being developed for the Army, called SimCoach. Guided by language-recognition software, SimCoach — there are several versions, male and female, young and older, white and black — appears on a computer screen and can conduct a rudimentary interview, gently probing for possible mental troubles.

And research at the University of Quebec suggests where virtual humans are headed: realistic three-dimensional forms that can be designed to resemble people in the real world.