According to a new study, one in five teenagers and young adults turns to AI chatbots for support when feeling sad, angry, tense, or stressed. Experts express concern, emphasizing that AI is not designed to handle crisis situations.
elchi reports that a study conducted by the RAND research organization and published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics has shown a rapid increase in the use of AI among young people.
In a similar survey conducted in early 2025, 13 percent of young people reported turning to chatbots for psychological advice, while in the latest survey conducted in November, this figure rose to 19 percent.
Ryan McBain, a senior policy researcher at RAND and lead author of the study, commented: “It’s a sad picture. You would expect young people to have supportive relationships where they can communicate comfortably with people around them and feel safe.” A study conducted on participants aged 12-21 revealed that the vast majority of young people found the advice from chatbots helpful. Approximately 63% of participants stated that they did not tell anyone they were using AI for therapy. Experts speculate that young people are using AI as an alternative due to a shortage of licensed mental health professionals or difficulty accessing such services.
However, data from OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, shows that 1.2 million weekly users use phrases expressing suicidal thoughts.
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