From friendship drama to suicidal thoughts, students across the country have begun to increasingly rely on artificial intelligence (AI) as a therapeutic resource to discuss problems in their personal lives.
For many high school students, AI serves as a convenient and free tool that helps with studying for quizzes and tests, learning new concepts, and cheating on assignments. While it was previously advertised as a free tool for academic or professional use, AI has now become a space where many young people can express their emotions freely without stress about how they will be perceived. Because of this, today around 12% of U.S. teens have started to pick discussions with AI over authentic advice from real humans.
As AI usage for advice and emotional support rises in popularity, concerns have arisen about the limits and possible dangers of relying on technology instead of real humans for such important, personal issues.
Upper School Psychologist Julie Lyons stated that “teenagers deserve human connection, [and] online use and technology [take] away from in-person, human connection. We need it, we deserve it, and it’s hard to replace it, even with the rising use of technology and AI.”
Lyons believes that for many teenagers, using AI chatbots as outlets for personal problems is a logical next step because of their strong online presence. As technology, digital platforms, and communities have become the status quo for teenagers across the U.S., AI accessibility and outreach have only expanded.
“It can be a quick, easy way of expressing your feelings and thoughts and saying out loud the things that feel unsayable to anyone else,” said Lyons.
Melissa McCourt, Lower and Middle School Counselor, stressed that AI is not human and that it cannot have emotions.
“AI isn’t capable of caring about you. And one of the most important things for a young person is that when they are talking to a friend, a teacher, a school counselor, someone that they trust, is that they have a feeling of care from that person and an exchange of care and interest between them,” said McCourt.
McCourt asserted that while AI can give the impression that it cares for you and may feel trustworthy to students in times of need, it’s still merely technology, which can’t guarantee consistent accuracy or ethical thinking.
“AI isn’t capable of thinking ethically or about multiple perspectives that people in a situation may share. It’s just focused on making you feel good about yourself and what you’re doing, which will never be reliable,” McCourt added.
While both McCourt and Lyons have expressed concerns about the reliability of these AI chatbots, students themselves have expressed mixed feelings about the increased reliance on AI in recent months.
Zoe Hocking ’29 shared a mixed perspective on students’ use of AI for personal problems, explaining that she believes many students have chosen to consult AI chatbots because AI platforms have become extremely prevalent in many aspects of their lives, including schoolwork.
“[Students] rely on ChatGPT and other AI because they’re so used to using it for their homework that it becomes an important part of their life to [the point] where they use it to ask questions about everything and expect that it’s going to solve their problems,” said Hocking.
Hocking noted that this familiarity, combined with AI’s easy accessibility, has made it a popular tool for many students seeking advice or comfort without judgment or fear.
“It’s very hard for a lot of people to pay for an actual therapist or psychiatrist. They’re very expensive,” she added.
While Hocking recognizes that AI’s easy and free format causes many students to view it as a positive resource, she is not without her criticisms of the tool.
“[AI is] unable to experience human feelings as well as we can because of the way we perceive things. When you go through a similar experience, you are able to understand the problem more closely and give better advice. A robot cannot do this. Robots are made up of algorithms that take from sources across the internet. It’s not real advice … they’re not sympathizing,” said Hocking.
Hocking further explained that relying on AI for the same advice a human provides can be extremely harmful, since it can’t replicate empathy or a true human connection.
“AI is unable to experience human feelings the way we do,” she said.
As artificial intelligence continues to integrate into the daily lives of millions of people worldwide, the success of the AI therapy field remains uncertain, especially as concerns from both experts and users about the reliability and authenticity of the technology have only continued to grow.
Lyons suggested that the growing reliance on these tools further reflects on how teenagers are navigating change and uncertainty in modern times.
“Teenagers these days are dealing with an exponential amount of change in the world and are just trying to take it upon themselves to find the real answers,” said Lyons.
