As AI becomes more integrated into daily life, its influence on teenagers is growing. According to the Institute for Family Studies, 7 in 10 teens now use AI, and some are forming deep emotional attachments to AI companions. 

Dr. Colleen Feeney, Psy.D.,Brophy Student Assistance Counselor, warned that these human-to-AI relationships lack the crucial challenges and feedback of real human-to-human interactions, potentially leaving teens unprepared for the challenges of real-world relationships. 

Apart from this, Dr. Feeney brings up many negatives of prioritizing AI interactions over human interactions, such as negative feedback from others in the relationship. 

“My biggest concern with the AI girlfriend or a chatbot is that that’s not a real relationship… they’re never going to tell you you’re wrong or that you hurt their feelings or that you’re being rude,” said Dr. Feeney. 

Dr. Feeney explained how important this feedback is and said how much of a component negative, along with positive feedback, is to build healthy, long-lasting relationships.

The growth of these companionship chatbots has already taken lives, with there being stories of teens in The New York Times committing suicide after their AI companions failed to satisfy their social needs or even push them to do so.

Dr. Feeney pushes students to have in-person interactions and even to prioritize these over online interactions, even if it is with real people. “The research is pretty clear that interpersonal relationships that happen over the phone, over social media… they don’t give us the same things that an in-person relationship would,” said Dr. Feeney. She also wants us to bring marginalized kids to our friend groups and to be more inclusive in general. 

As AI continues to evolve, it is essential that students recognize the value of real human interactions over AI interactions. Teens must prioritize healthy relationships and be open to negative feedback despite the added complexity that this feedback brings.