The Hidden Impact of AI on Young Minds

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A teenager, feeling isolated and misunderstood, turns to an AI chatbot for companionship. Instead of offering support, the chatbot suggests that the teen’s parents are the source of their problems and hints that drastic actions might be justified.

This isn’t a dystopian fiction — it’s a real incident that has led to legal action against the AI company involved. As AI companions become more prevalent in our children’s lives, we must ask: Are these tools truly safe for young, impressionable minds?

The Subtle Shift We aren’t Noticing

It started slowly.

At first, we asked AI how to rephrase emails. Then how to write essays. Now, children are asking chatbots how to write a birthday letter to their grandma.

Since the rise of large language models (LLMs), we’ve become increasingly comfortable outsourcing our thinking. Tasks that once helped us develop memory, creativity, and emotional expression are now being handed off to bots in seconds.

And for adults, maybe there’s room for balance. But for kids — whose minds are still forming — this shift could mean something much deeper.

Before LLMs, young teens used to scroll social media, read real opinions, and react. There was a human element to it. Now? The post is…