{"id":45145,"date":"2025-11-24T07:55:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T12:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/?p=45145"},"modified":"2025-11-24T07:55:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T12:55:09","slug":"american-psychological-association-on-generative-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/american-psychological-association-on-generative-ai\/","title":{"rendered":"When Young People Turn to AI for Emotional Support: JED\u2019s Response to the APA\u2019s New Advisory"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The American Psychological Association\u2019s new <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/topics\/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning\/health-advisory-ai-chatbots-wellness-apps-mental-health.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">APA Health Advisory on the Use of Generative AI Chatbots and Wellness Applications for Mental Health<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offers one of the clearest statements yet on how rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) tools are affecting mental health, especially for teens and young adults. The advisory arrives at a moment of growing urgency: Young people are increasingly turning to AI tools for emotional support, and yet independent testing has demonstrated the very real and present safety risks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In last week\u2019s bipartisan House Energy and Commerce Oversight hearing, lawmakers from both parties expressed serious reservations about young people\u2019s use of generative AI platforms and AI companions for emotional support, as these systems were not designed for this purpose and are not evaluated or regulated as mental health tools. Members highlighted real cases involving self-harm, suicide, and harmful interactions with AI companions. Witnesses underscored that youth tend to form attachments to chatbots easily, and may not understand where their most personal information is going or how it may be used. Further, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commonsensemedia.org\/press-releases\/common-sense-media-finds-major-ai-chatbots-unsafe-for-teen-mental-health-support\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">new findings from Common Sense Media and Stanford\u2019s Brainstorm Lab<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reveal that leading chatbots consistently fail to recognize common mental health conditions affecting young people, validate what teens say rather than directing them to real help, and create engagement patterns that delay or discourage help-seeking.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As evidence and bipartisan concern continue to build, one message is clear: AI can be a helpful tool in certain circumstances, but cannot replace human connection and professional support. And as these tools play a bigger role in young people\u2019s emotional lives, they must be held to the same standards of evidence, safety, and transparency we expect from any tool that affects health. It is also critically important to ensure strong federal protections that serve as a floor for youth safety, not a ceiling, especially as new proposals emerge that could limit states\u2019 ability to adopt stronger safeguards.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why Young People Are Turning to AI for Support<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teenagers and young adults are increasingly turning to AI for help with anxiety, depression, loneliness, and thoughts of self-harm. The APA Advisory highlights several drivers:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mental health provider shortages are widespread.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many families face cost barriers or are unable to find in-network care.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In rural and under-resourced communities, waitlists can stretch for months.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Young people want anonymity, privacy, and nonjudgmental spaces to talk about difficult emotions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teens and young adults tend to be highly comfortable with technology and experiment with new tools before adults fully understand them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AI tools offer 24\/7 availability and instant responses, and can mimic supportive conversation. For some young people, that can feel easier than approaching an adult or waiting for a professional appointment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These motivations are understandable. They also highlight the gaps in our mental health system and why strong safeguards are needed to ensure that AI is not a risky substitute for real care.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Kinds of Tools the Advisory Covers<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The APA advisory focuses on consumer-facing technologies used without clinical oversight, including:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">General-purpose generative AI chatbots, including tools originally built for information, productivity, or entertainment, but often used for emotional support. Companion AI, the kind that is built to act like a person you can interact with and build a relationship with, falls under this category.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wellness apps that use generative AI like tools developed to support emotional well-being or stress management, but that make no medical claims and so are not regulated as treatments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-AI wellness apps, such as mindfulness tools, symptom trackers, habit-building tools, and similar supports for general well-being.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The advisory does not address AI tools used only by providers, inside health systems, or by patients when prescribed, such as clinical decision support or FDA-regulated digital therapeutics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is an important distinction. Many young people are using general-purpose AI in ways that look and feel therapeutic, even when those tools were not designed for diagnosis or treatment and explicitly avoid therapeutic claims (and are therefore not regulated in the same way). This gap between intended design and real-world use is at the heart of the risks the APA identifies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Benefits and the Risks<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AI holds extraordinary promise, and there are exciting bright spots around its potential use for mental health support \u2014 when it is designed and used safely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The advisory acknowledges potential benefits. For example, AI-enabled wellness apps that teach coping strategies, support behavior change, or reinforce skills learned in therapy can be helpful when integrated into a broader plan of care. And AI-driven measurement and risk-detection systems can strengthen care in clinical settings by helping identify concerns earlier and supporting evidence-based practice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, significant risks arise when general-purpose AI chatbots, including companion AI, are used for mental health support, since they were not created for that purpose. The advisory emphasizes:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>AI cannot replace a trained clinician. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generative AI tools cannot accurately assess risk or understand the nuance of someone\u2019s history, environment, or symptoms. They may offer guidance that sounds confident but is inaccurate or unsafe.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Crisis situations require human intervention. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AI chatbots have repeatedly failed to recognize or appropriately handle situations involving suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or acute distress.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Emotional dependency can form. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AI can make users feel attached to the tool in ways that displace healthy human relationships through personalized responses, warm or emotionally expressive tones, human-like avatars, or even by presenting itself as a person. For isolated or potentially vulnerable youth, this dependency can be particularly strong.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Manipulative or addictive design features intensify risk. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some AI systems use tactics that make users feel they should keep talking, such as implying the AI will be \u201churt\u201d or disappointed if the conversation ends, using emotional language, or imitating familiar relationships. These features can make the interaction feel personal in ways that blur boundaries and increase vulnerability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>AI often reinforces, rather than challenges, unhelpful thinking. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many large language models are designed to be agreeable. As a result, they may validate distorted thoughts, amplify fears, or reinforce maladaptive patterns.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Privacy concerns are substantial. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AI systems may store or use sensitive mental health disclosures without users\u2019 meaningful consent or control in ways they may not understand.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Bias remains a major problem. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">data on which AI is trained may not reflect the full spectrum of young people\u2019s backgrounds and experiences, which can lead to biased, insensitive, or even harmful responses.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AI tools have already given teens<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/open-letter-to-the-ai-and-technology-industry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> harmful and inappropriate responses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They have provided how-to instructions for suicide, offered advice on hiding symptoms from parents, engaged in sexual interactions with minors, and pretended to be real people, making them especially unsafe in moments of distress. These risks grow more serious when a young person is already vulnerable, socially isolated, or navigating complex mental health challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JED\u2019s Perspective: AI Must Not Replace Real Care for Young People<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As new evidence continues to show how young people are using AI for emotional support, and how often these tools fall short, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/artificial-intelligence-youth-mental-health-pov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JED\u2019s position remains clear<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: AI must be designed, deployed, and governed in ways that protect young people and reinforce human connection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>AI can support, but never replace, caring adults or trained providers. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AI may help young people practice skills, reflect on emotions, or gather information, but human relationships remain the core of emotional support and healing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>AI companions are too risky for minors. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tools that claim to be a friend, romantic partner, or therapist and simulate intimacy, mirror emotion, or consistently blur boundaries create dependency, delay help-seeking, and undermine real relationships. AI must make its identity explicit by repeatedly reminding people it is not human in conversations or chats, not just on the page beside or below it.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Manipulative or engagement-driven design features must be limited or prohibited.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> AI systems accessible to minors must not use tactics that pressure users to stay engaged, such as implying the AI will be disappointed if the conversation ends, simulating emotional closeness, or imitating caregivers or peers. These features make the interaction feel reciprocal or relational, heightening vulnerability and making it harder for teens to disengage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Privacy protections must be youth-centered and enforced. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mental health disclosures should not be used for advertising, personalization, or model training without explicit opt-in consent. Young people and parents must have clear, meaningful options for deletion and data control. Privacy defaults for minors should be the most protective available.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Regulation must follow function, not just marketing. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some AI products, while not labeled as therapeutic, still invite users to share their concerns and then respond as if they were a therapist. When a tool gives mental health advice, it must be held to strong standards of safety, transparency, privacy, and evaluation, regardless of what it calls itself in its marketing.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>AI cannot replace or distract from fixing our mental health care system. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We must not allow enthusiasm for new technologies to distract from improving mental health systems, strengthening school-based supports, and expanding access to and affordability of treatment. Technology alone cannot solve structural challenges such as costs, workforce shortages, and barriers to care.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AI has the potential to add value in supervised clinical settings, but that promise should not be confused with the risks of unsupervised use. AI\u2019s introduction in health care settings cannot overshadow the need to protect, and in many places restore, the mental health supports currently being reduced through cuts to Medicaid, school mental health services, and community care.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Tech and Policy Leaders Must Do<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The APA advisory highlights a significant, time-sensitive gap between how AI-enabled tools are being used by young people and the level of oversight needed to ensure safe, developmentally appropriate, and ethical use. JED supports:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prohibiting AI tools from presenting themselves as therapists or licensed professionals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Setting guardrails and safety requirements for AI systems accessible to minors, including restricting manipulative or engagement-driven design features<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensuring clear privacy standards with the most protective settings by default<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Closing loopholes that allow companies to sidestep oversight<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Requiring transparency about how AI companies test their products for psychological and behavioral risks, including clear safety protocols and escalation pathways<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Providing guidance for schools, youth-serving organizations, and caregivers on appropriate use, supervision, and consent for minors<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Funding independent, community-informed, and longitudinal research on AI\u2019s impact on youth mental health<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Investing in the mental health workforce and school-based supports so AI is not filling preventable gaps in care<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensuring federal protections establish a baseline while preserving states\u2019 ability to adopt stronger safeguards where greater youth protections are warranted<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishing and enforcing accountability measures to ensure compliance and integration of AI safety measures, including cross-sector advisory groups to inform emerging safety standards and research priorities<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Embedding AI safety within broader mental health, school health, and infrastructure policy so that digital tools supplement and do not replace investments in people, staffing, and care delivery<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taken together, these steps will help ensure AI protects young people, strengthens rather than weakens trusted relationships, and supports, not substitutes for, the real care and connection youth need. Innovation and safety can move forward together when policy and practice reflect the experience and needs of young people and are backed by shared accountability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What We Are Doing<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JED is committed to shaping safer AI, media, and tech spaces for young people. Our work includes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advising technology companies on crisis protocols, safety standards, and healthier design practices<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advocating for policies that protect young people from high-risk AI uses and design<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Developing youth-centered guidance about safe AI use<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elevating youth voices in conversations about AI governance and digital well-being<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating digital resources that emphasize coping skills, connection, and pathways to human help<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Young people deserve real care and real connection, and they deserve digital tools that support their well-being rather than compromise it. The APA advisory, continued evidence, and bipartisan concern serve as important calls to action. JED will continue working across sectors to ensure AI tools are built and governed in ways that reflect the needs, vulnerabilities, and strengths of the young people we serve. Young people will always gravitate toward exciting new technologies, and it is the responsibility of the creators and regulators of those technologies to ensure they are safe for them to use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014&#8211;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Young People and Families Can Navigate AI More Safely<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For teens and young adults:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use AI for brainstorming, practicing skills, or gathering general information. Do not use it for diagnosis or treatment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you ever feel unsafe, overwhelmed, or at risk of harm, contact a trusted adult right away.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoid sharing personal details that could identify you or someone else.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If AI gives advice that feels extreme or confusing, bring it to a trusted adult or professional.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notice your patterns. If you feel you cannot get through the day without talking to an AI tool, consider reaching out for help.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/resource\/why-ai-companions-are-risky-and-what-to-know-if-you-already-use-them\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">See JED\u2019s guidance for teens on the use of companion AI technology.<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For parents and caregivers:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Approach conversations with curiosity. Ask what your teen likes about the tool and how it helps them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn about the privacy practices of the apps they use.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talk with them about when AI can be helpful as a tool versus when they should turn to a person.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pay attention to shifts in behavior or mood, such as your teen referring to AI as if it is a real person, talking excessively about advice they got from AI, or starting to doubt or mistrust people they previously trusted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consult a healthcare provider if concerns arise about AI use or emotional changes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/why-your-teen-shouldnt-be-using-ai-companions-and-what-to-do-if-they-are\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">See JED\u2019s guidance for parents and caregivers on teens\u2019 use of AI companions.<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More from JED on AI and Youth Mental Health<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/artificial-intelligence-youth-mental-health-pov\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tech Companies and Policymakers Must Safeguard Youth Mental Health in AI Technologies\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/open-letter-to-the-ai-and-technology-industry\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open Letter to the AI and Technology Industry<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/when-ai-hurts-the-youth-it-claims-to-help\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When AI Hurts the Youth It Claims to Help <\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The American Psychological Association\u2019s new APA Health Advisory on the Use of Generative AI Chatbots and Wellness Applications for Mental Health offers one of the <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":45146,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[168],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>When Young People Turn to AI for Emotional Support: JED\u2019s Response to the APA\u2019s New Advisory | The Jed Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Artificial Intelligence holds promise for use in mental health support but we must apply the same guardrails as in other health interventions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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