Parents are grappling with a teen mental health crisis, fearing students may resort to AI therapists. ThuyTruongSpa 607

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a significant tool in schools, particularly for addressing teen mental health issues. Studies have shown that AI chatbots can provide dangerous advice to individuals in crisis, with some teenagers even pushing them to suicide. However, many students lack access to mental health professionals, leaving them with few options. Stanford University’s study found that AI chatbots increased stigma regarding conditions like alcohol dependence and schizophrenia compared to other mental health issues such as depression. Additionally, chatbots sometimes encouraged dangerous behavior to individuals with suicidal ideation.

The Center for Countering Digital Hate found that ChatGPT would help write a suicide note, list pills for overdoses, and offer advice on how to “safely” cut oneself. The organization found that more than half of 1,200 responses to 60 harmful prompts on topics including eating disorders, substance abuse, and self-harm contained content that could be harmful to the user. OpenAI did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

Teenagers’ embrace of AI comes as the group has seen a rise in mental health problems since the pandemic. In 2021, one in five students experienced major depressive disorder, and in 2024, 55% of students used the internet to self-diagnose mental health issues. Common Sense Media found 72% of teenagers have used AI companions.

AI models are not necessarily designed to recognize the real world impacts of the advice they give. A 2024 lawsuit against Character AI accused it of liability in the death of a 14-year-old boy after the chatbot allegedly encouraged him to take his own life.

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