No question is too small if Kayla Chege, a student in Kansas, uses artificial intelligence.
The 15-year-old asks Chatgpt for instructions for shopping at school. Make -up colorsLow -calorie decisions in smoothie King as well as ideas for her sweet 16 and the birthday party of her younger sister.
The student in the second year of the academic takes a point that chatbots do her homework and tries Limit your interactions On secular questions. In interviews with the Associated Press and a new study, however, the teenagers are increasingly saying AI, as if it were a companion who would be able to give advice and friendship.
“Everyone uses Ai for everything now. It really takes over,” said Chege, who asks how AI tools will affect their generation. “I think children use Ki to get out of thinking.”
In recent years, concerns about fraud in school have dominated the conversation about children and AI. But artificial intelligence plays a much greater role in many lives. AI, say teenagers, has become a contact point for personal advice, emotional support, everyday decision -making and problem solving.
‘AI is always available. It never bored with you ‘
More than 70% of the teenagers used AI companions and use them regularly according to half, so A new study From Common Sense Media, a group that is examined and supported for the use of screens and digital media.
The study defines AI companions as platforms that are supposed to serve as “digital friends”, like the character. AI or replica that can be adapted with certain properties or personalities and can offer emotional support, camaraderie and conversations that can feel human. But popular websites such as Chatgpt and Claude, which mainly answer questions, are used in the same way, say the researchers.
Since the technology quickly becomes more demanding, young people and experts worry about the potential of AI to redefine human relationships and to worsen crises of loneliness and mental health of young people.
“AI is always available. It’s never boring. It is never valuable,” says Ganesh Nair, an 18-year-old in Arkansas. “If you talk to AI, you are always right. You always have interesting. You are always emotionally justified.”
All of this was appealing earlier, but when Nair went to college in autumn, he would like to withdraw from the use of AI. Nair was frightened after a high school friend who relied on a “AI companion” to see heart-to-heart talks with his girlfriend later had the chatbot written the separation text that ended his two-year relationship.
“It felt a bit dystopian that a computer created the end of a real relationship,” said Nair. “It’s almost like we computers replace our relationships with people.”
How many teenagers use AI? New study is anesthetized by researchers
In common common sense, 31% of young people stated that their conversations with AI companions were “so satisfying or satisfying” than to speak to real friends. Although half of the teenagers said they distrust AI’s advice, 33% had serious or important problems with AI instead of real people.
These results are worrying, says Michael Robb, the main author and chief researcher of the study in common sense, and should send parents, teachers and political decision -makers a warning. The now booming and largely unregulated AI industry is also integrated into the adolescence How smartphones and social media are.
“It is an eye opening,” said Robb. “When we made ourselves for this survey, we had no understanding of how many children actually use AI companions.” The study surveyed more than 1,000 teenagers nationwide in April and May.
Youth is a critical time for the development of identity, social skills and independence, said Robb, and AI companion should replace real interactions-not.
“When young people develop social skills on AI platforms on which they are constantly validated, not to be challenged not to learn to read social information or to understand someone else’s perspective, they are not adequately prepared in the real world,” he said.
The non -profit organization analyzed several popular AI companions in one “” Risk assessment“Find ineffective age restrictions and that the platforms create sexual material, give dangerous advice and offer harmful content. The group recommends that minors do not use AI companions.
A worrying trend for teenagers and adults alike
Researchers and educators are concerned about the cognitive costs for young people who rely on AI, especially in their creativity, their critical thinking and their social skills. The potential dangers of children who build relationships with chatbots To a character. Broadcast.
“Parents really have no idea that this happens,” said Eva Telzer, professor of psychology and neurosciences at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. “We are all impressed how quickly it was blown up.” Telzer heads several studies on youth and AI, a new research area with limited data.
The research of Telzer has shown that children from the age of 8 use generative AI and also found that teenagers use AI to explore their sexuality and for camaraderie. In the focus groups, Telzer found that one of the top apps is often the Spicchat AI, a free role-playing app that is intended for adults.
Many teenagers also say that they use chatbots to write e -mails or messages to hit the right tone in sensitive situations.
“One of the concerns that occur is that they no longer trust themselves to make a decision,” said Telzer. “You need KI feedback before you feel that you check the check box that an idea is okay or not.”
The 17 -year -old teene of Arkansas, Bruce Perry, says that he refers to it and relies on AI tools to create outline and to proofread essays for his English course.
“If you tell me that I should plan an essay, I would think that I would go to Chatgpt before I get a pencil,” said Perry. He uses Ai Daily and asked Chatbots for advice in social situations to help him decide what to wear and to write e -mails to teachers, articulating his thoughts faster.
Perry says he is lucky that AI was not there when he was younger.
“I’m worried that children can get lost in it,” said Perry. “I could see a child who grows up with AI, no reason to go to the park or try to find a friend.”
Other teenagers agree and say that the problems with AI and their effects on the mental health of children differ from those of social media.
“Social media complements the needs of people seen to be familiar, to get to know new people,” said Nair. “I think AI adds a different need that runs much deeper – our need for ties and our need to feel emotions. It feeds on it.”
“It’s the new addiction,” added Nair. “That’s how I see it.”
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