AI-4U offers barrier-free mental health support for workers
WellbeingSolutions, an Auckland-based technology company, has developed a non-app, artificial intelligence-powered system designed to help businesses meet new psychosocial risk requirements in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. The upcoming regulatory standards, to take effect under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 in April 2025, require employers to provide enhanced support for employee mental health and wellbeing.
Regulatory pressures
The introduction of the psychosocial risk standards places new demands on organisations to address mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and burnout. Businesses are also required to demonstrate their ability to manage these risks, particularly in the aftermath of serious workplace incidents. Employers must now reach employees in more remote or isolated roles, including night shift workers, due to heightened legal and insurance scrutiny.
Barrier-free support
WellbeingSolutions' new AI-powered wellbeing assistant, branded AI-4U, operates via SMS and web browsers rather than apps. According to company research, app-based interventions can themselves be a source of anxiety for users seeking crisis support. The system aims to provide confidential, immediate assistance, guiding users to the appropriate public services without cost or technological barriers.
Employees interact with AI-4U through simple text or voice messages. The assistant, available at all hours, uses keyword recognition to assess levels of distress and direct users to support services if necessary. An integrated customer relationship management (CRM) system stores employee interactions while AI monitoring tools flag high-risk cases for escalation to professional health services. The platform is designed to function irrespective of user location, language ability or technological proficiency.
Confidentiality and outcomes
The service's confidential nature is intended to reduce common barriers to accessing support, such as stigma and fear of judgment. According to WellbeingSolutions, the approach has already delivered a positive impact, with five lives reportedly saved in the past year across trial deployments.
"By offering AI-4U as a free SMS or voice message conversation, we have removed barriers to communication that hold people back from reaching out for help - accessibility, cost and anxiety. We intentionally didn't create an App-based system, as our research showed that the use of Apps for crisis support or mental health advice can be anxiety-inducing in itself," said Kevin McAfee, Founder and CEO, WellbeingSolutions.
Wider sector context
Recent changes to public mental health provision in New Zealand have reduced the times and channels available for crisis support. Lifeline Aotearoa has cut overnight helpline hours due to funding shortfalls, and police support for mental health callouts is diminishing. While the government has announced investment of NZD $61.6 million in mental health initiatives, sector advocates and business leaders continue to seek new ways to reach those at risk.
In response, WellbeingSolutions collaborated with Dr Annette Beautrais, a suicide prevention researcher with the World Health Organisation, to design AI-4U for early intervention and scalable access. The tool is set for wider deployment in 2026.
Business impact
Wellbeing Solutions works with organisations to ensure new legal obligations are met while also prioritising a culture of openness and care. The company was founded following McAfee's personal experience with the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, when the lack of real-time data and staff identification during a disaster highlighted the need for better safety practices. His previous venture, HealthSafe NZ, was established to address these gaps.
"I've always been about people first and in my view it's not just about businesses ticking the boxes, but creating a workplace where people are happy, can communicate freely and without judgement, genuinely want to spend their time, and get tailored health and wellbeing support," said McAfee.
