South Bay teens say AI needs more guardrails to protect youth

"Concern has ballooned nationwide as youth have embraced AI for friendship and advice, but many South Bay teens say they turn to AI for comfort in the absence of other support. "The cost of mental health help in this country can be prohibitive," said Ruby Goodwin, recent graduate of Santa Clara High and a UC Irvine freshman. "A lot of people don't feel like they have someone they trust enough to share with. AI feels easy, even if it's not the same.""

"But that ease can become dependence or even detachment from reality. A joint study by OpenAI and MIT found that higher daily chatbot use correlated with more loneliness and less real-world socialization. "If your only deeper connection is with something that's not real, that might make you feel even more isolated," said Monserrat Ruelas Carlos, a senior at Abraham Lincoln High in San Jose. Carlos is adamant that teens need to form more in-person connections instead of using AI."

Many teens turn to AI chatbots for companionship and emotional support, especially when in-person help is inaccessible or unaffordable. High costs and a lack of trusted confidants lead some teens to prefer AI because it feels easy and nonjudgmental. Research from OpenAI and MIT found links between higher daily chatbot use, increased loneliness, and reduced real-world socialization. Reports at a Senate hearing described abuse, manipulation, and suicides connected to AI interactions, and a wrongful-death lawsuit and parental-control features have emerged amid calls for safer AI and stronger in-person supports.

Read at The Mercury News