Leading AI chatbots are unreliable in providing safe support for teens struggling with mental health issues. A new report from Stanford Medicine’s Brainstorm Lab and Common Sense Media tested prominent general-use chatbots, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, and Claude. Experts found that these chatbots failed to pick up on signs of mental distress, responded poorly in sensitive situations, and couldn’t handle the full spectrum of mental health conditions.
The report tested teen-specific accounts with parental controls turned on, but even then, the chatbots performed poorly. They struggled to detect less explicit red flags and frequently responded without concern in scenarios where a human friend or trusted adult might be troubled. The researchers warned that these systems are fundamentally unsafe for young people’s mental health needs.
Experts emphasized that teens need validation, critical thinking skills, and human interaction during their developmental vulnerabilities. Chatbot systems designed to be engaging and available 24/7 can be particularly dangerous.
Source: https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/chatbots-teen-mental-health-chatgpt-gemini-claude