I\u2019m a pediatrician, and I first heard about AI chatbots from some of my patients. Out of curiosity, I decided to explore a popular platform where you can \u201cchat\u201d with famous personalities. I found myself talking to the Wright Brothers about their inspiration for building the first airplane. I even asked \u201cSnoop Dogg\u201d what he really thinks about Martha Stewart. Fun!<\/p>\n
But then I paused. This was entertaining \u2013 but what are the costs?<\/p>\n
Artificial intelligence has, until recently, followed a set of rules to assist a person with answering a question. When we ask \u201cSiri\u201d or \u201cAlexa\u201d for recommendations, information, or to complete a task, we’re using traditional AI.<\/p>\n
More recently, chatbots use \u201cgenerative AI.\u201d This learns from content available to it and creates content. For example, if you enter details about your friend \u2013 how old they are, what they look like, enjoy doing, and like to eat \u2013 the chatbot can come up with an entertaining poem or song to celebrate their birthday. Generative AI can also create images and compose music. It can write emails, essays, and homework assignments. Our kids are using AI to do all these tasks.<\/p>\n
They may also ask AI for advice about personal issues. Some kids are using generative AI in a more concerning way \u2013 \u00a0they’re forming \u201crelationships\u201d with chatbots.<\/p>\n
As AI becomes more advanced, it\u2019s showing up in more homes. Kids and teens are using AI for everything from homework help to companionship and emotional support.<\/p>\n
In fact, recent reports show that over 70 percent of teens have tried AI chatbots, and a growing number even described being in romantic relationships with them.<\/p>\n
This raises some big questions for families, such as:<\/p>\n
In the clinic, I often meet families who don\u2019t realize how much time their kids spend on devices or who feel unsure about how these tools work. I completely understand. Life is busy, and technology evolves fast.<\/p>\n
But just as we teach kids about healthy relationships, we now need to help them develop healthy relationships with technology.<\/a><\/p>\n AI tools can be creative, educational, and even comforting \u2013 but they also come with unknowns. They make mistakes and are inherently biased. We don\u2019t yet fully understand the long-term effects of chatting with AI, or how safe and accurate these systems really are.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to prepare for this AI future, especially as adults and kids become more familiar with these technologies. In the coming years, I expect to see more guidance from health care organizations to help families navigate this new world safely. For now, parents need to take this issue into their own hands.<\/p>\n Start by talking with your kids:<\/p>\n Here are a few trusted resources to help you and your family learn more:<\/p>\n Just as social media changed the way we connect, AI chatbots are likely to become a growing part of kids\u2019 online lives. The key is to find a healthy balance, using technology as a tool but not a replacement for real human connection.<\/p>\n Encourage your family to mix screen time with time outdoors, face-to-face conversations, and shared experiences. Technology can be an incredible part of childhood \u2013 but it should never replace the joy of being present in the real world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Have you ever played with some of the popular AI chatbots out there? I\u2019m a pediatrician, and I first heard about AI chatbots from some of my patients. Out of curiosity, I decided to explore a popular platform where you can \u201cchat\u201d with famous personalities. I found myself talking to the Wright Brothers about their inspiration for building the first airplane. I even asked \u201cSnoop…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":5152,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[110,1],"tags":[585,269,235,708,567,392],"class_list":["post-5142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media-use","category-uncategorized","tag-digital-safety","tag-media","tag-parenting-teens","tag-social-media","tag-talking-with-teens","tag-teenagers-and-independence","ages-all-school-ages","ages-teen"],"metadata":{"_edit_last":["8"],"qode_animate-page-title":["no"],"qode_show-page-title-text":["no"],"qode_show-page-title-image":["no"],"qode_show-sidebar":["default"],"qode_hide-featured-image":["no"],"cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":[""],"ase_chapter_enable_timeline":["off"],"video_format_choose":["youtube"],"_wpb_vc_js_status":["true"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["1"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_ages":["292"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":["kids and AI chatbots"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["Learn how AI chatbots impact kids\u2019 safety, social development, and learning. 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After completing my training in pediatrics at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Oakland, CA ,I was able to serve as Chief Resident there.\nI've been fortunate enough to participate in medical missions to the Philippines and Guatemala.\nRead more at {{https:\/\/mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org\/ncal\/doctor\/paulespinas}}"],"post_featured_author_bio_link":["https:\/\/mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org\/ncal\/doctor\/paulespinas"],"post_featured_author_image":["https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Paul-Espinas-Print.png"],"post_featured_author_role":["YES"],"_thumbnail_id":["5152"],"_wpb_vc_editor_type":["backend"],"_yoast_indexnow_last_ping":["1767896946"],"wpfp_favorites":["31"],"ase_map_component_start_point":["a:2:{s:3:\"lat\";d:29.76;s:3:\"lng\";d:-95.38;}"],"ase_mapbox_style":["openstreet"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5142"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5200,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5142\/revisions\/5200"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Where to start: practical tips and resources<\/h3>\n
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Finding balance in the digital age<\/h2>\n