Orlando, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Artificial intelligence, or AI, is rapidly changing the world we live in. And now, it’s reaching kids and teens in ways many parents never expected. Surveys show one in five teens say they, or someone they know, has used AI for a romantic or emotional connection. So how do you help your child navigate a technology that can be both helpful and harmful?
AI is already a part of daily life; new research shows 69 percent of high school students report using Chat GPT to help with schoolwork. But there are downsides to relying on AI too much.
“We don’t want them to be going to any kind of ai platform for everything either or they won’t learn to use their own brains,” said Colette Jane Fehr, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
Recent reports have raised alarms about AI chatbots giving dangerous or harmful advice to teens. And there’s a growing concern AI may replace, not support real human connections. In one survey, 31 percent of teens said conversations with AI companions were as satisfying or more satisfying than talking with real friends. Experts also warn about misinformation, scams, deep fakes. A deep fake is a fake image, video, or audio clip created by AI making it appear someone said or did something they never did.
“The reality is that your sixth grader could go into school and find that another kid has created a deep fake with their picture and a nude of your 11-year-old child,” explained Fehr.
To help kids, start by talking about AI openly and early.
Show kids how easy it is for AI to create fake content.
Monitor how they’re using it. Set reasonable limits. And most importantly, teach kids to think critically and use AI as a tool, not a replacement for real friendships or trusted information.
Researchers at Stanford found some AI chatbots failed to step in and, in some cases, even encouraged dangerous behavior when users showed signs of serious mental illness. That concern is now playing out in court: google and character AI have agreed to settle multiple lawsuits brought by families who say chatbot interactions worsened teens’ mental health, including cases involving suicide.
Contributors to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor.
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Sources:
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/teens-turning-ai-love-comfort
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3xgwyywe4o
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ai-digital-friendship-with-teens-common-sense-media-study/
