Blab AI
Parents Grapple With Teens Growing Use of AI-Generated Personas
According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 95 % of American teenagers own a smartphone. While mobile devices have long served as gateways to social connection, a new layer of risk has emerged: artificial intelligence (AI)‑generated personas that teens can chat with as if they were real people. The trend has prompted parents to rethink how they safeguard their children’s online interactions.
The story was illustrated by 17‑year‑old Olivia Hollabaugh of Cleveland, who received her first phone in seventh grade. Hollabaugh says she is now aware of AI‑generated people and has friends who use them to “connect” in ways that feel real. She notes that teenagers can be “really judgy,” and that the speed of AI evolution outpaces society’s understanding of its impact.
Dr. Mary Gabriel, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s, explains that the long‑term effects of AI on adolescents’ social and emotional development remain unknown. She cautions that as teens learn to navigate relationships, AI can shape the way they engage. “If you’re an adolescent and you’re still learning how to do that in effective ways, it starts influencing the way you engage,” she said.
Gabriel recommends that parents model healthy skepticism toward AI. By openly questioning AI responses—such as pointing out when a reply is unhelpful or unhealthy—parents can teach children to critically evaluate virtual interactions. She also advises parents to observe how their children maintain real‑life relationships; strong self‑advocacy in person often signals resilience in digital spaces. When a parent suspects a child is spending significant time on a platform that hosts AI personas, Gabriel suggests approaching the conversation with curiosity rather than judgment: “Hey, I see you talk spending a lot of time on this particular platform. Like, what’s that like? How has it been?”
The phenomenon of AI‑generated personas is part of a broader wave of generative AI tools that can produce realistic images, audio, and text. According to Wikipedia, generative AI has become widely available in the 2020s, enabling the creation of synthetic media that can mimic real people. Chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok use large language models to simulate human conversation, and many platforms now offer AI companions that can provide social or mental‑health support.
Research has begun to examine how adolescents use these tools. A 2025 cross‑sectional study surveyed U.S. teens and young adults about their use of generative AI for mental‑health advice, noting that many participants sought help from chatbots. A 2026 survey found that a portion of U.S. adolescents used AI chatbots for mental‑health advice and varied in how much they disclosed this to others. These studies highlight that while AI can offer support, it also raises questions about privacy, accuracy, and the boundaries of virtual relationships.
Regulatory attention has followed the rapid rise of generative AI. The United States and the United Kingdom established AI Safety Institutes in 2023, and ongoing discussions focus on aligning AI systems with human values and preventing misuse. However, experts note that safety measures have not kept pace with the speed of technological advancement.
At present, parents and educators face an evolving landscape in which AI‑generated personas are increasingly accessible to teens. The key challenges include understanding how these interactions affect social development, developing practical guidance for safe use, and ensuring that AI systems incorporate safeguards against misinformation and emotional harm. Ongoing research, policy development, and public education will be essential to address these unresolved issues.
The story was illustrated by 17‑year‑old Olivia Hollabaugh of Cleveland, who received her first phone in seventh grade. Hollabaugh says she is now aware of AI‑generated people and has friends who use them to “connect” in ways that feel real. She notes that teenagers can be “really judgy,” and that the speed of AI evolution outpaces society’s understanding of its impact.
Dr. Mary Gabriel, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s, explains that the long‑term effects of AI on adolescents’ social and emotional development remain unknown. She cautions that as teens learn to navigate relationships, AI can shape the way they engage. “If you’re an adolescent and you’re still learning how to do that in effective ways, it starts influencing the way you engage,” she said.
Gabriel recommends that parents model healthy skepticism toward AI. By openly questioning AI responses—such as pointing out when a reply is unhelpful or unhealthy—parents can teach children to critically evaluate virtual interactions. She also advises parents to observe how their children maintain real‑life relationships; strong self‑advocacy in person often signals resilience in digital spaces. When a parent suspects a child is spending significant time on a platform that hosts AI personas, Gabriel suggests approaching the conversation with curiosity rather than judgment: “Hey, I see you talk spending a lot of time on this particular platform. Like, what’s that like? How has it been?”
The phenomenon of AI‑generated personas is part of a broader wave of generative AI tools that can produce realistic images, audio, and text. According to Wikipedia, generative AI has become widely available in the 2020s, enabling the creation of synthetic media that can mimic real people. Chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok use large language models to simulate human conversation, and many platforms now offer AI companions that can provide social or mental‑health support.
Research has begun to examine how adolescents use these tools. A 2025 cross‑sectional study surveyed U.S. teens and young adults about their use of generative AI for mental‑health advice, noting that many participants sought help from chatbots. A 2026 survey found that a portion of U.S. adolescents used AI chatbots for mental‑health advice and varied in how much they disclosed this to others. These studies highlight that while AI can offer support, it also raises questions about privacy, accuracy, and the boundaries of virtual relationships.
Regulatory attention has followed the rapid rise of generative AI. The United States and the United Kingdom established AI Safety Institutes in 2023, and ongoing discussions focus on aligning AI systems with human values and preventing misuse. However, experts note that safety measures have not kept pace with the speed of technological advancement.
At present, parents and educators face an evolving landscape in which AI‑generated personas are increasingly accessible to teens. The key challenges include understanding how these interactions affect social development, developing practical guidance for safe use, and ensuring that AI systems incorporate safeguards against misinformation and emotional harm. Ongoing research, policy development, and public education will be essential to address these unresolved issues.
