A growing trend among children and teens using AI tools for emotional support is raising alarms among health professionals, who warn of potential risks and the importance of human oversight.
Children and teenagers are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools for emotional and mental health support, a trend that researchers say is strongest among older adolescents, girls, gender-diverse young people and racially marginalised groups.
In findings summarised by SciMEX, researchers analysed survey responses from almost 40,000 pupils in Canadian elementary, middle and secondary schools and found that more than one in five said they had used AI for this kind of support. The study also linked that behaviour with worse mental health, saying children who turned to AI for emotional help were twice as likely to report clinical emotional problems.
The results fit a broader pattern now emerging across North America. Pew Research Centre reported earlier this year that 12% of US teenagers had sought emotional support from chatbots, even as more than half used them for schoolwork. The American Academy of Pediatrics has also warned that the technology may feel easy to approach because it is instant and non-judgemental, but it cannot provide the empathy, safeguarding or professional judgement that a human adult or clinician can.
Health specialists have echoed those concerns. Johns Hopkins Medicine has cautioned that chatbot advice may be incomplete, inaccurate or unsafe when a child is struggling with a serious mental health issue. Other child welfare experts say the appeal is understandable: AI is available at any hour, does not interrupt, and may feel less intimidating than speaking to a parent, teacher or doctor. But they argue that those same qualities can encourage over-reliance and delay proper support.
For parents and caregivers, the message from clinicians and researchers is not to treat AI as harmless entertainment, but as a tool that should be discussed openly. Experts say it is best used alongside, not instead of, trusted human support, especially when a child is showing signs of distress, withdrawal or persistent anxiety.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
