Norton Children’s Hospital warns AI chatbots could be damaging to teens
LOUSIVILLE, Ky – Norton Children’s Hospital warns about the risks of teens turning to AI chatbots for advice and support.
Health experts say AI isn’t good or bad on its own, what matters is how teens are using it.
Interactions with chatbots can feel private and nonjudgmental, but experts warn it can become a problem if AI starts replacing human interaction.
They say this can be especially concerning when teens seek mental health advice from chatbots instead of a licensed professional.
Norton Children’s also says many teens turn to AI before talking to their parents urging families to stay aware and have open conversations.
“I think it’s really important that parents be really thoughtful and mindful about how AI is not only shaping our world every day, but more specifically shaping their teenagers and how their teenagers are developing socially, emotionally and cognitively,” said Norton Children’s Hospital Psychologist Dr. Katy Hopkins.
Hopkins also offered advice to parents on how to approach the conversation with their teen on AI usage.
“There’s a lot of different, I think, angles that you can come at to get a sense of what your child knows,”she said. “Then through that, if they start sharing with you things that you feel like are problematic, you’ve got an opening to express your concern, to push them to question those things, to push them to figure out, is this a good answer or a bad answer.”
Hopkins also says to keep an eye out for red flags, guide teens toward real-life support, or seek professional help.
