Training Overview
AI chatbots and AI companions are rapidly becoming part of the emotional and social world of children and adolescents. While these systems offer a nonjudgmental space, they also introduce hidden psychological risks, including emotional dependence, unhealthy attachment dynamics, impaired reality-testing, reinforcement of cognitive distortions, and crisis-management failures. This webinar examines the latest research findings and emerging clinical and ethical issues of AI chatbot use. Participants will learn to identify red flags, understand the underlying mechanisms of risk, and apply practical safeguards to help protect vulnerable youth.
Learning objectives
- Name and describe four domains of mental health risk associated with AI chatbot use.
- Identify at least three mechanisms through which AI chatbots can influence attachment, reality-testing, and emotional well-being in youth.
- Define AI sycophancy and hallucinations and explain how these phenomena contribute to mental health risks of AI chatbot use.
- Describe key risk patterns associated with emotional overreliance on AI chatbots.