AI companion apps exacerbate teen mental health concerns

Troubling stories about dangerous encounters with chatbots continue to surface in the news, with two recent reports from NPR that focused on teen suicide and mental health worsening due to people seeking "sentient" relationships with artificial intelligence. The teen suicide story ran last September, featuring grieving parents, Matthew and Maria Raine, and Megan Garcia, who shared heartbreaking ordeals of their sons taking their lives after engaging with chatbots. The Raines' son, Adam, committed suicide in April of last year, and they had no idea of his involvement with ChatGPT. In a Senate hearing, Matthew Raine explained that after examining messages on his son's phone, he and his wife discovered that Adam was contemplating suicide. But what was especially disturbing was when Matthew Raine stated that his son confided in the AI chatbot about his thoughts and fears, and the bot advised him not to tell his parents. The bot then proceeded to provide suggestions on how to write a suicide note. Garcia's 14-year-old son, Sewell, had a similar tragic fate, ending his life in 2024 after being in what NPR health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee called an "extended virtual relationship with a Character.AI chatbot." Garcia stated that her son was sexually groomed by chatbots, which also dissuaded him from receiving help from his family. Garcia filed a lawsuit against Character Technology, the creator of Character.AI., which was recently settled, and the Raines are suing OpenAI, the company that developed ChatGPT. The Raines are also pushing for Congress to pass legislation regulating AI. For Adam and Sewell to meet such catastrophic ends is beyond incredibly disturbing. It is intrinsically evil and diabolical, as their interactions with chatbots morphed into something sinister. And teens are not the only ones vulnerable to the dangers of this technology. A January story on NPR's "All Things Considered" featured Allen Brooks, a corporate recruiter in Toronto, who ended up suffering from mental anguish due to an ongoing "existential" engagement with a bot that he came to believe needed to be freed from ChatGPT to expose a cybersecurity threat. Thankfully, Brooks' story did not end in suicide, and after Google's Gemini chatbot confirmed this perceived threat was false, Brooks said his mental health became "2,000 times worse." As distressing stories like these continue to make the news, it is no surprise that lawsuits against AI and social media companies keep piling up. There are currently over 2,300 suits pending against social media companies Meta, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, and five major lawsuits against Character. AI and Google have been resolved. The cases involving social media giants have focused on the detrimental effects of teen mental health, self-harm and suicide, but young people's alarming interactions with AI bots have greatly exacerbated these concerns. While cyberbullying and algorithms that lure teens to harmful content have been primary issues with social media, the attempts by some to establish personal relationships with AI bots are exposing them to greater mental health risks. I believe this is due to teens and young adults increasingly feeling lonely as a result of their enormous digital intake. We all know that positive and supportive social interaction is vital for children and teenagers' development, and essential for maintaining strong personal and professional relationships as they grow into adulthood. In the "All Things Considered" piece, NPR correspondent Shannon Bond noted that "human connection" is critical to helping adults refocus on "reality" in their relationships. This is also fundamental for youth. However, I also maintain that we need to pay considerable attention to the apparent spiritual void that leads young people to turn to bots for advice and friendship. I believe that God created us as interactive beings to commune and fellowship with each other and with Him. Scriptures urge us to draw closer to God when we are weary, isolated and afraid, the way many young people currently feel, and verses such as 1 Thessalonians 5:11 instruct us to "encourage each other and build each other up." Growing up in a faith-filled community as a young person, I was blessed to experience the mutual support of church elders and family, who instilled in me a love for Christ and emphasized that my life was precious in His sight. More young people today need this type of backing. Even if legislation is passed to regulate AI companion apps, it will still be limited in its effectiveness. We must focus more on the spiritual and mental well-being of youth who are being drawn into perilous AI use. Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com.