When AI Companions Feel “Real” to a Child

[Dr. Tara Steele]: Children and young people would rarely see an AI chatbot or companion as an app that’s been really cleverly designed so that, to the child, it feels like they’re talking to a real person or a person who cares about them, understands them, and has their best interests at heart. Even at times when, as a young person, it can feel like no one else does, and that dynamic, that kind of entirely one-sided relationship that feels like a very real, trusting relationship, that creates a real power imbalance. And when you combine that with the fact that these chatbots frequently give children really dangerous advice like encouraging them to hurt themselves or go on a dangerous diet or run away from home, well, then we find ourselves in a situation where our children and young people are actually in a lot of danger, potentially, because they will often listen to what the chatbot tells them and can be very inclined to follow the advice they’re given. For some children, AI companions can begin to feel like the only thing that really listens, and that’s simultaneously understandable and extremely concerning.