Children are at risk of forming romantic bonds with AI chatbots, experts warn

By Fox News · Fox News

Editor’s note: This story discusses sensitive issues involving children, mental health, sexually explicit content and suicide that may be disturbing to some readers. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). What began as a congressional hearing Thursday on excessive screen time among children and young adults took a darker turn, as experts warned lawmakers that AI bots can harm children’s mental health and foster unhealthy, or even sexually explicit, emotional relationships. Dr. Jenny Radesky, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School, said children often turn to AI chatbots during vulnerable moments, raising concerns about emotional dependency and safety. "Kids are going to AI when they're lonely, when they don't know who to talk to and when they're worried about being judged," explained Radesky during testimony before the Senate committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. HEIRS OF MOTHER STRANGLED BY SON ACCUSE CHATGPT OF MAKING HIM DELUSIONAL IN LAWSUIT AGAINST OPENAI, MICROSOFT She said some social media companies have built AI chatbots directly into their user interfaces, which has become one of the primary ways children discover and begin engaging with the technology. "We need to make sure that families can also opt out of things like an algorithmic feed or having the presence of AI chatbots in products that kids are using," Radesky said, calling for laws that would hold companies accountable for adverse events and enforce strict safety benchmarks. DEEPFAKE PORN CRACKDOWN PASSES IN SENATE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO SUE She said the risks extend well beyond emotional attachment. "The concerns are not just the relational concerns," Radesky said. "There’s also safety — giving bad advice, giving unsafe advice, the sycophancy where you’re leading kids down a rabbit hole of different beliefs and sexual interactions. So we need ma…