JED study raises concerns about students turning to AI for emotional support

Transcript

1. WinstonThe JED Foundation, a youth mental health organization, has released research on students' AI use. It surveyed five thousand five hundred sixty middle and high school students at twenty-one U.S. schools.
2. AsherOur earlier edition grouped schoolwork and seeking companionship together. Those need separating. What did the students actually report?
3. WinstonFifty-eight percent reported using AI for schoolwork. Fifty-seven percent used it when feeling sad, stressed, lonely or overwhelmed. Twelve percent reported using it for friendship or companionship. Those are separate findings.
4. AsherAnd reporting that students seek companionship from AI doesn't establish that it's safe. What did JED find about their mental health?
5. WinstonStudents who reported using AI for friendship or companionship also reported more anxiety and depression symptoms, loneliness, and a greater history of suicidal thoughts and attempts.
6. AsherThat's concerning. But does the research show that using AI caused those problems?
7. WinstonNo. JED says it cannot tell whether AI contributes to poorer well-being or whether students already in distress are more likely to turn to it. The sample also isn't nationally representative.
8. AsherSo we need to take the association seriously without claiming it proves cause. What does JED recommend?
9. WinstonJED says AI should never replace trusted adults. It calls for tools that recognize distress and connect young people to real support, rather than replace that support.
10. AsherThat's the part our earlier edition needed. A young person turning to a chatbot still deserves care and support from people in their life.