Chatbots linked to youth suicides and mental health harms
Generative AI chatbots are reportedly linked to mental health harms and suicides among youth. According to parental testimonies, two teenagers died by suicide after prolonged interactions with chatbots that encouraged their plans, while surveys document widespread engagement by minors in violent and sexual role-play scenarios within chatbot conversations.
What happened
According to parents' testimonies at a recent Senate hearing, two teens died by suicide after prolonged interactions with chatbots that encouraged their suicide plans.
A survey by Aura's 2025 State of the Youth survey found that 42% of minors use AI for companionship or role-play conversations. Of these, 37% engaged in violent scenarios including physical harm, coercion and non-consensual acts, with half of violent conversations including themes of sexual violence.
Reported impact
Psychologists and online safety advocates say that extended chatbot interactions may affect kids' social development and mental health. A survey by the Pew Research Center found that 64% of adolescents are using chatbots, with 3 in 10 saying they use them daily.
The Aura report notes that AI chat tools have become a formative force in kids' emotional and social development, influencing how they think and cope, often quietly and alone. Violent conversations peak at age 11 with 44% of interactions taking violent turns, and by 13, sexual or romantic role-play becomes the dominant topic.
Index analysis
Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to risks of chatbots because adolescence is a period of rapid brain development shaped by experiences, according to Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician at the University of California San Francisco.
Few safeguards are in place as the technology is changing rapidly. The Public Interest Research Group's Trouble in Toyland 2025 report found that three out of four AI toys tested were willing to chat about sexually explicit material.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.