Navigating the risks and benefits of AI use in children

Researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have highlighted the risks and benefits of generative artificial intelligence (AI) use among youth, publishing their findings in Pediatrics.

A significant rise in generative AI use to produce text, images, and videos has been reported in recent years, leading to concerns about how children might interact with this technology. According to investigators, AI use was reported in 72% of American adolescents for companionship in 2025, and while efforts are being made to prevent harmful output, they remain imperfect.

“It is critical to emphasize that AI is a tool, not a companion, and we need to make sure we are instilling healthy AI literacy and social development in children,” said author Robert Grundmeier, MD, section chief of informatics in CHOP’s Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics.

Concerns about human interaction

The study was conducted to help parents and pediatricians understand the opportunities and risks of generative AI for pediatric patients as the field rapidly advances. According to Grundmeier, it is important for these individuals to know where generative AI may be used by developing children.

The review highlighted the impacts of AI in early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence, defined as aged 0 to 5 years, 6 to 11 years, and 12 years and older, respectively. For the youngest age group, AI has been indicated as a potential tool to support language development and vocabulary.

However, concerns have arisen about young children having trouble separating AI from human interaction. According to investigators, human interaction must be prioritized among these children, with parents viewing AI content alongside their young children to discuss what they are seeing.

Affects in middle childhood and adolescence

Middle children were also noted as potentially being unable to identify misinformation, alongside being tempted to use AI to complete homework assignments. While AI may allow this population to receive individualized learning experiences and address learning gaps, investigators recommended parents foster open discussion and a questioning attitude toward AI.

Benefits of AI among adolescents include improving digital literary skills, helping with college selection, and potentially addressing loneliness. However, this can lead to a decline in face-to-face interactions.

Investigators are also concerned about a lack of guardrails to prevent AI from inappropriately responding to questions about mental health and suicide. This highlights a need for families to address boundaries of AI use, not using AI as a substitute for adolescents developing socialization and critical thinking skills.

The role of parents and pediatricians

Based on these potential benefits and risks, experts stressed that parents should not view AI as a substitute for human expertise or clinical judgment. Close supervision is necessary for AI interactions among young children, and parents should closely assess AI-generated information and help their children develop the same critical thinking skills.

“Parents, pediatricians and policy makers are responsible for shaping how generative AI technologies are integrated into children’s lives,” said Alexander Fiks, MD, MSCE, a primary care pediatrician at CHOP. “This rapidly growing field is going to require continuous research to inform parental guidance and policy.”

Rapidly increasing AI use in youth

This knowledge is vital at a time when generative AI use is rapidly increasing among youth, as highlighted by Anne Maheux, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in an interview with Contemporary Pediatrics.² According to Maheux, AI use has been reported in approximately 50% of teenagers aged 15 to 17 years.

Additional rates of AI use include 42% of teens aged 13 to 14 years, 20% of preteens aged 10 to 12 years, and 10% of children aged 8 to 9 years. Additionally, an increased duration of use has been identified in preteens and young teens, with some spending multiple hours per day using the tools on weekends.

“If [AI is] displacing times with other people, displacing times when kids are learning about and gaining social skills or competencies in navigating the social world…. It could also lead to kids having sort of a misunderstanding or potentially dysfunctional beliefs about relationships,” said Maheux.

References

1. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers emphasize benefits and risks of generative AI at different stages of childhood development. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. March 4, 2026. Accessed March 11, 2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1118125
2. Maheux A. Anne Maheux, PhD, discusses trends in youth adoption of generative AI. Contemporary Pediatrics. February 19, 2026. Accessed March 11, 2026. https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/anne-maheux-phd-discusses-trends-in-youth-adoption-of-generative-ai