Welcome to the forefront of conversational AI as we explore the fascinating world of AI chatbots in our dedicated blog series. Discover the latest advancements, applications, and strategies that propel the evolution of chatbot technology. From enhancing customer interactions to streamlining business processes, these articles delve into the innovative ways artificial intelligence is shaping the landscape of automated conversational agents. Whether you’re a business owner, developer, or simply intrigued by the future of interactive technology, join us on this journey to unravel the transformative power and endless possibilities of AI chatbots.
About one in five young people use AI chatbots for emotional support and mental health advice. Stanford researcher Caroline Figueroa asked them why. (Photo: Yunus Tug for Unsplash)
Aug. 11, 2026 — Chatbots have become an everyday part of life for kids and young adults. A recent Common Sense Media study found that nearly 9 in 10 young people aged 9-17 are now interacting with AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. A quarter of them use AI daily. A separate study found that about 20% of 13- to 22-year-olds explicitly seek out AI for mental health advice.
But what do those young people think about the risks involved?
Caroline Figueroa wanted to find out. So she asked them.
Figueroa, a visiting assistant professor at Stanford who studies the responsible development of AI for youth and mental health, recently completed an in-depth survey of 48 teens and young people aged 14-22. She and her research team asked them why they used chatbots, and urged them to share their thoughts about the risks associated with seeking emotional support from AI chatbots.
Young People on AI’s Harms and Benefits
Click on image at left to access the full pre-print study.
The kids and young adults said they were aware of the trade-offs they were making by using chatbots for emotional support. They turn to AI, the respondents said, because it can feel more available and less judgmental than humans.
Human support, they said, is not consistently available. Sometimes AI gives better, more personal, or concrete advice.
When asked about the core risks of AI chatbots, the respondents listed several including:
AI dependency;
harmful advice;
negative impacts on human relationships;
sycophancy;
data privacy.
Figueroa’s study found that one of the most significant fears among young people is the risk of becoming overly dependent on AI to navigate daily life.
There’s a growing concern that without these chatbots they might struggle to solve problems, regulate their emotions, or manage interactions with peers, parents, and teachers.
As one young person put it: “I don’t want to get emotionally attached. Like if the servers shut down, I’m just out of luck, and I need that not to be on my plate.”
Another teen said: “I feel like it’s making me worse because I’m becoming so reliant on it to the point where it’s kind of unhealthy. And I’m really trying to stray away from AI into my human connections and the resources I have around me instead of gravitating straight to using AI for anything.”
This was another concern raised in the survey interviews.
Because AI is always available and tailored to the user, there is a risk that it becomes a substitute for real people, potentially leading to isolation or a loss of social skills. Some teens said they feel that AI provides a way to avoid the vulnerability required in human interaction.
As one young person put it: “I think it would be probably better if I didn’t use AI, because then I might be more comfortable with, like, speaking up about my feelings, instead of just being able to, like, hide behind a robot and talk to it.”
Many of the interviewees were concerned that AI chatbots over-agree with users.
By validating a chatbot user’s perspectives and ideas regardless of whether they are right or wrong, AI chatbots may encourage confirmation bias—a tendency to search for or interpret information that supports one’s prior beliefs or values.
As one young person put it: “It’s a ‘yes ma’am’ chat where it just feeds into your own delusions, I would say. And it doesn’t really give critical advice. And what I need is critical advice.”
Many of the young people in the study expressed concern about how large AI companies handle their sensitive personal data.
There was a high level of worry about their intimate thoughts and problems being documented and analyzed by the large companies that develop and run the chatbots.
“I’m always scared that this information could get out and that wouldn’t be good for me at all,” one teen respondent said. “So I feel like that is one of the downsides, just because while you do share a lot and you do trust AI a lot, there’s always a chance that, you know, this information could get out, especially because you were like putting it in writing and you’re giving it to basically another company or another entity to use that and analyze it.”
The 48 study respondents were asked to offer advice on how AI chabots could be improved. These were the three most common answers.
1. AI should push people to think for themselves.
Many of the young people in the study wanted AI chatbots to give shorter responses that provide immediate advice.
They also wanted AI chatbots to be less agreeable and more challenging of the user’s opinion. This could help young people be less dependent on AI’s advice, while being more helpful.
2. We need safer AI chatbots that are designed with young people in mind.
Young people mentioned the need for more regulations and age-based restrictions for AI.
One respondent said: “It’s all about finding that balance because it’s one thing to just completely ban it, because that just gets rid of all of the positives, right?”
3. Involve young people in AI design and governance.
Young people are the experts in how they use technology. They also have the most to gain and lose from AI developments. They want technology designed for them, and with them.
As one young person said: “I think they [AI Companies] need to create separate AI chatbots for young people. I don’t think that they should be the same as just a normal chatbot. And I also think that they need to talk to young people and understand their psychological minds to just see how AI could not be dangerous and how AI could help them.”
This overview is based on study author Caroline Figueroa’s article published by Hopelab, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering greater mental health and well-being of young people. Figueroa is a Commonwealth Harkness Fellow and a Hopelab researcher-in-residence.
About one in five young people use AI chatbots for emotional support and mental health advice. Stanford researcher Caroline Figueroa asked them why.
A group of high school students gathered in Boston recently to create a one-of-a-kind document: A Congressional bill to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in school classrooms. What they came up with is remarkable.
Massachusetts lawmakers are moving two bills concerning kids, addictive algorithms, and the use of digital devices at school.
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