Experts worry that some young people are turning to AI bots during mental health crises, which the tech isn’t made to handle. An author of the survey said regulations are needed.
Nearly 1 in 5 adolescents and young adults are turning to AI chatbots for advice when they’re sad, angry, nervous or stressed, according to a new study.
The findings, from the research institute RAND, represent an increase from early 2025, when the nonprofit conducted a similar survey. At the time, around 13% of respondents said they used chatbots for such advice, but the share rose to 19% in the group’s latest survey in November, the results of which were published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
“It’s a sad number, because you’d hope that young people would have the sorts of supportive relationships that they would feel comfortable and empowered reaching out to those around them,” said Ryan McBain, a senior policy researcher at RAND and the lead author of the study.
One of the biggest barriers to getting help is the expectation that reaching out will result in being judged, dismissed, or talked down to.
Imagine someone is already struggling, finally works up the nerve to say “I’m having a hard time,” and the response they receive is essentially:
You’ve proved the point beautifully here.
I’ve done plenty of peer support.
Ultimately, the you need professional help… It’s wishful thinking. This person is broken. They think talking to machines is going to humanize them?
Ok buddy.
Clearly I have no problem saying the quiet part out loud.