AI mental‑health tools face safety concerns and impact teen development

A growing shift is occurring from general‑purpose AI platforms such as ChatGPT toward purpose‑built AI designed specifically for mental‑health support. Experts note that broad language models lack clinical guardrails, can miss red‑flag signals and may give medically inappropriate advice. Health authorities, including the WHO, and regulators such as the U.S. FDA, are urging stricter oversight and validation for these specialized tools to ensure safety and data privacy.

A new study from Arizona State University warns that adolescents who rely on AI chatbots for companionship may suffer “relational displacement” and “maladaptive relational learning,” limiting opportunities to develop essential relationship skills. Lead author Thao Ha said, “People don’t realize that relational learning happens during the teenage years … You really need those building blocks so you actually learn the skills that you need to thrive in your relationships.” The research found that over 60% of teens have used conversational AI at least once, with a smaller but notable share using it daily, raising concerns about long‑term social and emotional development.