2026-09-01 from cbc.ca

Teenagers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for emotional support, new Canadian research suggests, further underlining the pronounced mental health struggles of many young people and raising concerns about the impact of a fast-evolving, largely unregulated technology.

The study by University of Ottawa researchers looked at nearly 40,000 students in Grades 4 through 12 in Ontario, finding that roughly one in five used AI chatbots for emotional support or advice. Those who did use AI for those purposes were twice as likely to have clinical emotional problems as those who did not.

The findings don't imply that AI is the cause of mental health problems, noted study author Tracy Vaillancourt, the Canada Research Chair in Youth Mental Health and Violence Prevention. 

Read more here