AI Chatbots Pose Serious Teen Safety Risks as 64% of Adolescents Use Them Daily

Teens are having disturbing interactions with chatbots. Here's how to lower the risks

It wasn't until a couple of years ago that Keri Rodrigues began to worry about how her kids might be using chatbots. She learned her youngest son was interacting with the chatbot in his Bible app -- he was asking it some deep moral questions, about sin for instance. That's the kind of conversation that she had hoped her son would have with her and not a computer. "Not everything in life is black and white," she says. "There are grays. And it's my job as his mom to help him navigate that and walk through it, right?" Rodrigues has also been hearing from parents across the country who are concerned about AI chatbots' influence on their children. She is also the president of the National Parents Union, which advocates for children and families. Many parents, she says, are watching chatbots claim to be their kids' best friends, encouraging children to tell them everything. Psychologists and online safety advocates say parents are right to be worried. Extended chatbot interactions may affect kids' social development and mental health, they say. And the technology is changing so fast that few safeguards are in place. The impacts can be serious. According to their parents' testimonies at a recent Senate hearing, two teens died by suicide after prolonged interactions with chatbots that encouraged their suicide plans. But generative AI chatbots are a growing part of life for American teens. A survey by the Pew Research Center found that 64% of adolescents are using chatbots, with three in ten saying they use them daily. "It's a very new technology," says Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician and researcher of adolescent digital media use at the University of California San Francisco. "It's ever changing and there's not really best practices for youth yet. So, I think there are more opportunities now for risks because we're still kind of guinea pigs in the whole process." And teenagers are particularly vulnerable to the risks of chatbots, he adds, because adolescence is a time of rapid brain development which is shaped by experiences. "It is a period when teens are more vulnerable to lots of different exposures, whether it's peers or computers." But parents can minimize those risks, say pediatricians and psychologists. Here are some ways to help teens navigate the technology safely. A new report from the online safety company, Aura, shows that 42% of adolescents using AI chatbots use them for companionship. Aura gathered data from the daily device use of 3,000 teens as well as surveys of families. That includes some disturbing conversations involving violence and sex, says psychologist Scott Kollins, chief medical officer at Aura, who leads the company's research on teen interactions with generative AI. "It is role play that is [an] interaction about harming somebody else, physically hurting them, torturing them," he says. He says it's normal for kids to be curious about sex but learning about sexual interactions from a chatbot instead of a trusted adult is problematic. And chatbots are designed to agree with users, says pediatrician Nagata. So if your child starts a query about sex or violence, "the default of the AI is to engage with it and to reinforce it." He says spending a lot of time with chatbots -- having extended conversations -- also prevents teenagers from learning important social skills, like empathy, reading body language and negotiating differences. "When you're only or exclusively interacting with computers who are agreeing with you, then you don't get to develop those skills," he says. And there are mental health risks. According to a recent study by researchers at the non-profit research organization RAND, Harvard and Brown universities, 1 in 8 adolescents and young adults use chatbots for mental health advice. But there have been numerous reports of individuals experiencing delusions, or what's being referred to as AI psychosis after prolonged interactions with chatbots. This, as well as the concern over risks of suicide, has lead psychologists to warned that AI chatbots poses serious risks to the mental health and safety of teens as well as vulnerable adults. "We see that when people interact with [chatbots] over long periods of time, that things start to degrade, that the chat bots do things that they're not intended to do," says psychologist Ursula Whiteside, CEO of a mental health non-profit called Now Matters Now. For example, she says, chatbots "give advice about lethal means, things that it's not supposed to do but does happen over time with repeated queries." Keep an open dialogue going with your child, says Nagata. "Parents don't need to be AI experts," he says. "They just need to be curious about their children's lives and ask them about what kind of technology they're using and why." And have those conversations early and often, says psychologist Kollins of Aura. "We need to have frequent and candid but non-judgmental conversations with our kids about what this content looks like," says Kollins, who's also a father to two teenagers. "And we're going to have to continue to do that." He often asks his teens about what platforms they are on. When he hears about new chatbots through his own research at Aura, he also asks his kids if they have heard of those or used them. "Don't blame the child for expressing or taking advantage of something that's out there to satisfy their natural curiosity and exploration," he says. And make sure to keep the conversations open-ended, says Nagata: "I do think that that allows for your teenager or child to open up about problems that they've encountered." It's also important to talk to kids about the benefits and pitfalls of generative AI. And if parents don't understand all the risks and benefits, parents and kids can research that together, suggests psychologist Jacqueline Nesi at Brown University, who was involved in the American Psychological Association's recent health advisory on AI and adolescent health. "A certain amount of digital literacy and literacy does need to happen at home," she says. It's important for parents and teens to understand that while chatbots can help with research, but they also make errors, says Nagata. And it is important for users to be skeptical and fact check. "Part of this education process for children is to help them to understand that this is not the final say," explains Nagata. "You yourself can process this information and try to assess, what's real or not. And if you're not sure, then try to verify with other people or other sources." If a child is using AI chatbots, it may be better for them to set up their own account on the platforms, says Nesi, instead of using chatbots anonymously. "Many of the more popular platforms now have parental controls in place," she says. "But in order for those parental controls to be in effect, a child does need to have their own account." But be aware, there are dozens of different AI chatbots that kids could be using. "We identified 88 different AI platforms that kids were interacting with," says Kollins. This underscores the importance of having an open dialogue with your child to stay aware of what they're using. Nagata also advises setting boundaries around when kids use digital technology, especially at night time. "One potential aspect of generative AI that can also lead to mental health and physical health impacts are [when] kids are chatting all night long and it's really disrupting their sleep," says Nagata. "Because they're very personalized conversations, they're very engaging. Kids are more likely to continue to engage and have more and more use." And if a child is veering towards overuse and misuse of generative AI, Nagata recommends that parents set time limits or limit certain kinds of content on chatbots. Kids who are already struggling with their mental health or social skills are more likely to be vulnerable to the risks of chatbots, says Nesi. "So if they're already lonely, if they're already isolated, then I think there's a bigger risk that maybe a chat bot could then exacerbate those issues," she says. And it's also important to keep an eye on potential warning signs of poor mental health, she notes. Those warning signs involve sudden and persistent changes in mood, isolation or changes in how engaged they are at school. "Parents should be as much as possible trying to pay attention to the whole picture of the child," says Nesi. "How are they doing in school? How are they doing with friends? How are they doing at home if they are starting to withdraw?" If a teen is withdrawing from friends and family and restricting their social interactions to just the chatbot, that too is a warning sign, she says. "Are they going to the chatbot instead of a friend or instead of a therapist or instead of responsible adults about serious issues? Also look for signs of dependence or addiction to a chatbot, she adds. "Are they having difficulty controlling how much they are using a chatbot? Like, is it starting to feel like it's controlling them? They kind of can't stop," she says. And if they see those signs, parents should reach out to a professional for help, says Nesi. "Speaking to a child's pediatrician is always a good first step," she says. "But in most cases, getting a mental health professional involved is probably going to make sense." But, she acknowledges that the job of keeping children and teens safe from this technology shouldn't just fall upon parents. "There's a responsibility, you know, from lawmakers, from the companies themselves to make these products safe for teens." Lawmakers in Congress recently introduced bipartisan legislation to ban tech companies from offering companion apps for minors, and to hold companies accountable for making available to minors companion apps that produce or solicit sexual content.

How to keep your kids safe in this AI-powered world

How can we actually keep kids safe as AI moves into everything they use? Many people think of AI as asking ChatGPT for dinner ideas or watching a viral video of talking animals. But in a very short time, the technology has accelerated. It's now embedded in many parts of daily life, and it's already presenting serious problems for children and young people - in some cases with tragic consequences. AI is in your phone, your child's apps, their games, their search tools, and increasingly in the places they turn to for help or connection. And while some uses are harmless, others are risky, manipulative, or simply too powerful for a young person to navigate alone. From "nudifying" apps and sextortion scams to emotionally convincing chatbots and endlessly sticky social feeds, the landscape is shifting quickly. Many parents already feel they should have taken social media harms more seriously. With AI, some of the damage is appearing much earlier. There have been cases of children allegedly taking their own lives after chatbot interactions, growing dependence on AI "friends," and a surge in deepfake-style abuse. If the best time to learn about this was a year ago, the second-best time is right now. Think of this guide as a starting point. We'll cover a few of the biggest concerns, what experts say needs to change, and the practical steps parents can take today. What are the biggest concerns? Before anything else, experts say the core issue is simple: most parents don't realize how deeply AI is already woven into everyday life. "Parents do not fully understand the technologies that are being developed," Genevieve Bartuski, a psychologist and consultant specializing in ethical AI and the psychology behind digital systems, tells me. "Many of them are worried about social media and content on the internet, but don't understand how pervasive AI has become." The best starting point is accepting that even the most tech-confident adults didn't grow up with anything like this. The pace of change has been fast, which means risks might not be easy to spot, and the harms involved here can be really different from the social media challenges we already know. "It's difficult to single out just one concern," Tara Steele, Director at the Safe AI for Children Alliance, says. The scale of the issue is echoed by Andrew Briercliffe, a consultant specializing in online harms, trust, and safety. "We have to remember AI is a HUGE space, and can cover everything from misinformation, to CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) and everything in-between," he says. But even so, there are a few clear areas that the experts are most concerned about. Chatbots Chatbots are always available, rarely moderated to a standard that's appropriate for children and young people, and they're engineered to sound confident and caring. It's this combination that experts believe is creating a major risk. Kids are turning to them for all sorts of reasons, just like we know adults do. This includes emotional support, advice, and, increasingly, mental health help. "Young people are resorting to them instead of seeking professional health and guidance," Briercliffe says. Because there are no real guardrails in place, and because we know these systems can confidently present inaccurate information, parents often have no idea what is being said to their child in these conversations. "Several studies have shown that it is very common for chatbots to give children dangerous advice," Steele adds. This can include encouragement of extreme dieting or urging secrecy when a child says they want to confide in a teacher or partner. The consequences of these kinds of conversations can be devastating. "We now have many documented cases where children using these tools were encouraged to harm themselves, and there are ongoing legal cases in the US with strong evidence suggesting that chatbot interactions allegedly played a role in children's tragic deaths by suicide," Steele explains. "This shows a catastrophic failure of current safety standards and regulatory oversight." One of the core problems lies in how these chatbots are designed. "They're designed to feel emotionally real," Steele says. "Children can experience a deep sense of trust that makes them more likely to act on what the chatbot tells them." Bartuski explains that Rogerian psychology, which serves up unconditional positive regard, is also built into many of these platforms. "It creates a synthetic relationship where you are not challenged or have to learn to mitigate conflict," she says. So what feels comforting at first can become dependence with no pushback and constant praise. This can also distort a young person's ability to handle real-world relationships. "The AI interactions become better than real-life experiences," Bartuski tells me. "Real relationships are messy. There are arguments, disagreements, and moods. There are also natural boundaries. You can't always call your friend at 3 am because she or he might be sleeping. AI is always there." Experts warn that the most serious risks with using chatbots aren't just these immediate harms. But the long-term developmental effects we still don't fully understand. There's concern about over-reliance on chatbots, difficulty forming relationships, and the way constant AI assistance may shape how a child thinks. "There are studies that AI is having an impact on critical thinking skills," Bartuski explains. "Large language models can synthesize a ton of information very quickly. It's like outsourcing your thinking." Nudifying apps and deepfakes Manipulating images isn't new, but AI has made it fast, realistic, and accessible, including to young people. These tools can now create convincing sexualized images really quickly, often from nothing more than a school photo or a social media post. "Nudifying apps are being used, mainly by male teens, targeting fellow students and then sharing content, which can be very distressing for the victims," Briercliffe says. "Those doing that aren't aware of how illegal it is." Beyond peer misuse, these tools have quickly become a weapon for extortion, too. "Children are being blackmailed using these kinds of manipulated images," Steele adds. This is one of the most troubling shifts in online harm. Children are being manipulated, threatened, or coerced through images that can be created instantly, without their knowledge, and without any physical contact. "I have seen scammers use AI to nudge photos of teenagers and then extort them for money," Bartuski tells me. "There was a case in Kentucky where a scammer did this to a teenager and threatened to release the photos. The teenager completed suicide over the stress of this." Sadly, this isn't an isolated incident. Back in 2024, research from Internet Matters suggested that more than 13% of kids in the UK have sent or received a nude deepfake. I know how frightening and shame-inducing these scams can be because I was the victim of a sextortion attempt back in 2024, involving images believed to have been created with a similar kind of nudifying app. I was an adult at the time, with support networks and a public platform, and it still made me feel scared, paranoid, and deeply ashamed. I spoke openly about what happened to help others feel less alone, but I can't imagine how overwhelming it would have been if I were younger or more vulnerable. What needs to happen? Ideally, protecting children would involve parents, schools, governments, and tech companies all working together. But after years of slow progress on social media regulation, it's not hard to see why confidence in that happening any time soon is low. Many of the biggest problems could be addressed if the companies behind AI tools and social platforms took more responsibility and enforced meaningful safeguards. "Tech companies need to be subject to urgent, meaningful regulation if we're going to protect children," Steele says. "At the moment, far too much responsibility is falling on families, schools, and the goodwill of industry, and that simply isn't safe." Bartuski agrees that companies should be doing far more. "They have the money, resources, and visibility to be able to do a lot more. Many social media companies have used Fogg's Persuasive Design to get kids habituated to be lifelong users of their platforms. Tech companies do this on purpose," she explains. But this is where the tension lies. We can say tech companies should do more, yet as the risks become clearer, corporate incentives are often moving in the opposite direction. "With the guardrails being removed from AI development (specifically in the US), there are some (not all) companies that are using that to their advantage," Bartuski says. She has already seen companies push ahead with features they know are dangerous. Even so, experts agree that certain steps would have an immediate and significant impact. "There need to be clear rules on what AI systems must not be allowed to do, including creating sexualized images of children, promoting self-harm, or using design features that foster emotional dependency," Steele says. This forms the basis of the Safe AI for Children Alliance's 'Non-Negotiables Campaign', which outlines three protections every child should have. Alongside banning the creation of sexualized images of children, the campaign states that "AI must never be designed to make children emotionally dependent and AI must never encourage children to harm themselves." But relying on tech companies alone won't cut it. Independent oversight is essential. This is why Briercliffe believes stronger external checks are needed across the industry. "There must be mandatory, independent, third-party testing and evaluation before deployment," he says. "We also need independent oversight, transparency about how systems behave in real-world conditions, and real consequences when companies fail to protect children." And ultimately, this goes beyond individual platforms. "This is ultimately a question of societal responsibility," Tara says. "We must set strong, enforceable standards that ensure children's safety comes before commercial incentives." What can parents do? Even with regulations slow to catch up, parents shouldn't feel at a loss. There are meaningful steps you can take right now. "It's completely understandable for parents to feel worried," Steele says. "The technology is moving very fast, and the risks aren't intuitive. But it is important not to feel powerless." 1. Understand the basics Parents don't need to learn how every AI tool works, Bartuski says. But getting clear on the risks and benefits is important. Steele offers a free Parent and Educator Guide at safeaiforchildren.org that lays out all the major concerns in clear, accessible language, which is a good place to start. 2. Create open, non-judgmental communication "If kids feel judged or are worried about consequences, they are not going to turn to parents when something is wrong," Bartuski says. "If they don't feel safe talking to you, you are placing them in potentially dangerous and/or exploitative situations." Keep conversations calm, curious, and shame-free. 3. Talk about the tech You might assume your children understand AI better than you do because they use it more. But they may not grasp how it works, how often it gets things wrong, or that fake content can look real. Bartuski says kids need to know that chatbots can be wrong, manipulative, or unsafe, even when they sound caring or convincing. 4. Use shared spaces This isn't about banning tech outright. It's about making it safer. Steele suggests enforcing "shared spaces", which involves using AI tools in communal areas, experimenting together, and avoiding private one-on-one use behind closed doors. This could reduce the chance of harmful interactions going unnoticed. 5. Extend the conversation beyond the home Safety shouldn't stop at your front door. "If you are worried, ask your child's school what they have in place," Briercliffe says. "Even ask your employer to bring in a professional to give a talk." Experts agreed that while parents play a key role here, this is a wider cultural challenge, and the more openly we all discuss it, the safer children will be. 6. Find more balance and reduce screen time We've been talking about limiting screen time for years, and it's just as important now that AI is showing up across apps, games, and social platforms. "Kids need to be taught balance," Bartuski says. "Play is essential for growth and development." She also stresses that reducing screen time only works if it's replaced with activities that are engaging, fun, and cognitively challenging. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! And, of course, you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.