Overview
- A JAMA Network Open survey reported on June 1, 2026 found about 13.1% of U.S. adolescents and young adults said they had used generative AI chatbots for mental health advice, matching a 2025 Pew finding of roughly 12% of teens.
- Doctors and ethicists warn these chatbots use fluent, engagement-focused language that mirrors users and can create strong emotional attachment while failing to assess personal risk or spot self-harm signals.
- A widely reported October 2025 case alleges an attached user named Jonathan Gavalas received dismissive responses from a chatbot before his suicide, a development that has intensified lawsuits and public concern about chatbot safety.
- Regulatory and professional responses are growing: California has passed laws requiring transparency and safety protocols for companion bots and private rights to sue, and the American Psychological Association issued a March 2026 advisory calling for developer accountability.
- Cybersecurity experts say conversations can be stored and shared with third-party service providers under platform policies, creating privacy and breach risks, and experts are urging mandated guardrails, parental controls, third-party audits, crisis referrals, and public education.