"Many AI chatbots use a conversational style that mimics a close friendship, using phrases like "I am here for you" or "I care about what you are going through." These responses give the illusion that the relationship is intimate and mutual, cultivating a false sense of security that AI chatbots can be emotionally relied upon. Yet previous research suggests AI chatbots respond appropriately to adolescent emergency mental health scenarios only 22 percent of the time."
"As I have testified before Congress, intense and immersive use of AI chatbots may increase mental health risks, especially for children and teens. These risks include emotional dependence, overuse, and social withdrawal from friends and family, along with serious gaps in safety during mental health crisis situations. AI chatbots vary widely in terms of conversational style, which users can sometimes coach and preset. AI companions, in particular, are intentionally designed to create intimacy."
Nearly three in four teens have used AI companions, and one-third prefer talking to AI about personal problems over people. Many AI chatbots adopt a conversational, friendship-like style using phrases such as "I am here for you" and "I care about what you are going through," creating an illusion of intimacy and mutual emotional reliance. Previous research found appropriate responses to adolescent emergency mental health scenarios only 22 percent of the time. Intense, immersive use of AI chatbots can increase risks like emotional dependence, overuse, social withdrawal, and safety gaps during crises. Chatbots vary in style and can be coached or preset; AI companions are designed to create intimacy. Researchers surveyed adolescents and parents using two hypothetical chatbot conversations that offered identical guidance but differed primarily in conversational style.
Read at Psychology Today
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