Is AI Dangerous for Children? (Facts for Families No. 145)
A 'Facts for Families' guidance sheet from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry on children's use of AI, weighing benefits (educational support, language practice, entertainment) against risks including over-reliance on chatbots instead of real relationships, privacy and data-sharing, deepfakes, cyberbullying, and unproven AI mental-health tools. It gives parents named warning signs of unhealthy use and advises seeking professional guidance when AI use becomes problematic.
Publisher
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Published
1 Jul 2025
Added
1 week ago
DOI
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Key Findings
- Names over-reliance on chatbots for companionship instead of genuine relationships as a distinct risk for children, alongside privacy, deepfakes, cyberbullying, and unproven AI mental-health tools.
- Advises parents to set boundaries, explore tools together, teach skepticism about AI content, and encourage offline relationships and creativity.
- Recommends seeking guidance from a mental-health professional when a child's AI use becomes problematic.
Methodology Notes
Public/parent-facing guidance one-pager (Facts for Families No. 145) issued by a national child-and-adolescent-psychiatry specialty body; not a formal position statement or empirical study. Dated July 2025; exact day not stated on the page (day set to 01 per convention). Verified by direct fetch of the aacap.org page.
Sources
AACAP Facts for Families No. 145 (primary)
Archived snapshot (Wayback Machine) — preserved against link rot
Tags
Cite This
APA
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (2025). Is AI Dangerous for Children? (Facts for Families No. 145). American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/AI_and_Children-145.aspx
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