We introduce a novel application of large language models (LLMs) in developing a virtual counselor capable of conducting motivational interviewing (MI) for alcohol use counseling. Access to effective counseling remains limited, particularly for substance abuse, and virtual agents offer a promising solution by leveraging LLM capabilities to simulate nuanced communication techniques inherent in MI. Our approach combines prompt engineering and integration into a user-friendly virtual platform to facilitate realistic, empathetic interactions. We evaluate the effectiveness of our virtual agent through a series of studies focusing on replicating MI techniques and human counselor dialog. Initial findings suggest that our LLM-powered virtual agent matches human counselors' empathetic and adaptive conversational skills, presenting a significant step forward in virtual health counseling and providing insights into the design and implementation of LLM-based therapeutic interactions.

翻译：本文提出了一种大语言模型（LLM）的创新应用，旨在开发能够为酒精使用问题提供动机性访谈（MI）咨询的虚拟咨询师。目前，特别是针对物质滥用的有效咨询途径仍然有限，而虚拟代理通过利用LLM的能力来模拟MI中固有的精细沟通技巧，提供了一种前景广阔的解决方案。我们的方法结合了提示工程与用户友好的虚拟平台集成，以促进真实且富有同理心的互动。我们通过一系列聚焦于复现MI技术与人类咨询师对话的研究，评估了虚拟代理的有效性。初步结果表明，我们基于LLM的虚拟代理在同理心和适应性对话技巧方面与人类咨询师相当，这标志着虚拟健康咨询领域向前迈出了重要一步，并为基于LLM的治疗性交互的设计与实施提供了见解。