Youth and AI: Open Letter from Our Executive Director
On September 4th, La Presse published an article highlighting an alarming finding: young people are increasingly turning to AI for help, sometimes at the expense of their safety. Our Executive Director, Annie Papageorgiou, has penned an open letter aiming to start a conversation, so that this concerning issue extends beyond the media space and into our homes.
When AI becomes the confidant of our youth, we must be concerned about their physical and mental safety.
As a frontline organization whose mission is to be there for teens during difficult times, the entire Tel-jeunes team is shaken but primarily concerned by the recent findings published in La Presse that shake and concern us.
At Tel-jeunes, we are already noticing this on our helplines: artificial intelligence is entering teenagers' conversations. Some write to us because a chatbot has directed them to us. Others question their relationship with AI, sometimes even wondering if they are becoming dependent on it. It goes without saying that we feel compelled to respond to the situation.
