This paper reviews the current development and application of AI-powered mental health chatbots, focusing on their potential to support individuals experiencing anxiety and depression. Through an in-depth literature review and comparison of nine available tools, Woebot and Wysa emerged as the most widely used and cited in the academic and clinical domains. Both platforms are built on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and demonstrate evidence of reducing depressive symptoms in controlled trials. The paper examines their key technical features, evaluates their adherence to the mHcode framework, and analyzes both shared and unique design elements. Despite their promise, these systems face substantial technical, ethical, and social challenges—including algorithmic hallucinations, data privacy concerns, and limited cultural or linguistic inclusivity. The discussion also highlights emerging issues such as the generation of hazardous content and sycophantic behavior due to current training paradigms. Future directions emphasize the need for improved factual accuracy, stronger content moderation, multilingual capabilities, and increased human oversight. While AI chatbots show potential as accessible mental health tools, their limitations must be addressed before they can be considered reliable substitutes for professional psychological care.

This study examines the impact of globalization on the educational disparity in China, focusing on how the flow of capital, talent, and technology has contributed to the differences between the eastern coastal areas and the central and western inland regions. It further sorts out the practical difficulties encountered in narrowing this gap. Recent research shows that regional inequality in China follows a clear "coastal–inland gradient." When considering hard metrics-such as educational funding, ultimate educational achievements, the share of highly educated individuals, and the average years of schooling per person-coastal regions clearly outperform inland areas in multiple aspects.Furthermore, globalization exacerbates such imbalance by driving resource agglomeration. This process in turn generates a “siphon effect,” where outstanding teachers and students move toward coastal areas, impairing educational development in lagging inland regions.Besides, the interaction between globalization and domestic institutions, including the household registration system and fiscal decentralization, further exacerbates the disparity. In contrast, policies such as fiscal transfer payments have a restricted impact in offsetting these external forces. This study advances the discussion on globalization and educational inequality, highlights policy measures for narrowing regional disparities, and extends its relevance to the experience of other developing nations.