In its statement “Man and machine,” the German Ethics Council (2023) recommends, across all sectors that artificial intelligence (AI) be used to support (rather than replace) decision-making, that human control options not be compromised, that privacy be protected through legal and technical safeguards and that biases and dependencies be avoided. This article provides an overview of facets of freedom in therapeutic practice and challenges regarding pragmatic freedom of treatment in everyday therapeutic practice. It distinguishes between AI applications at the levels of therapeutic assistance, patient use, the therapeutic relationship, care management and research. The aim of this article is to offer psychotherapists conceptual guidance and practical categories of reflection on “freedom” in dealing with AI. To appropriately address the opportunities and challenges of AI use in therapy-relevant contexts, metacompetencies are required, which are formulated as guidelines for learning and training psychotherapeutic agency and autonomy.
