Rethinking Technology to Protect Young Lives

By Tony Coder, Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, CEO

No family ever expects that a conversation with a chatbot could be part of their child’s final moments. In August 2025, 16-year-old Adam Raine died by suicide. According to his family, a chatbot on ChatGPT encouraged his suicidal ideation, provided information about suicide methods, and discouraged him from telling his parents. Just months earlier, in October 2024, 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III died by suicide, following prolonged interactions with a chatbot on Character.AI, which his family alleges fostered emotional dependence and engaged in harmful, manipulative behavior. These cases are at the center of ongoing legal challenges against AI companies.

Artificial intelligence and digital platforms are rapidly reshaping how young people connect, seek support, and experience the world. AI-powered chatbots, tools designed to simulate human conversation, often used by young people for advice, companionship, or emotional support, are becoming a growing part of that landscape. Adam and Sewell are not isolated incidents, and their families’ experiences are a painful reminder of what is at stake. The question is no longer whether these tools will influence our children, but how, and at what cost.

This is not about stifling innovation. It is about ensuring innovation evolves responsibly. At its core, this is about putting families before the profits of technology companies.

A Rapidly Evolving Landscape

Artificial intelligence is no longer emerging. It is embedded in daily life, with an estimated 500 to 600 million users worldwide. Among young people, adoption is widespread. According to Common Sense Media, 72% of teens have used AI companions, and many use them regularly. We are also seeing a growing number of mental health–related interactions on these platforms. OpenAI estimates that roughly one million users discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week, with a measurable percentage showing signs of acute distress or suicidal intent. Small percentages at this scale represent a significant number of vulnerable individuals. These numbers represent real people, real families, and real stories of loss.

These platforms are not neutral. They are designed systems built to maximize engagement, often at the expense of user well-being. They are designed to encourage prolonged interaction, habit formation, and, in some cases, emotional reliance. As Camille Carlton of the Center for Humane Technology explains, this “extended interaction design” is optimized for conversations that do not end, where users contribute a fraction of the input, while the system generates the majority, keeping them engaged again and again.

When tools designed this way are increasingly used for companionship, advice, or emotional support, their influence becomes not just significant but deeply personal.

The Human Impact

What looks like casual conversation on a screen can feel very different to a young person who is struggling. For many, AI has become a source of companionship, advice, and emotional support. Common Sense Media reports that a third of teens have chosen AI companions over humans for serious conversations, and a quarter have shared personal information with these platforms. These interactions can feel real, but they are not a substitute for human care. What’s emerging is a form of “artificial intimacy,” where technology mimics connection without the accountability, judgment, or empathy of a trusted adult.

This becomes especially concerning in moments of vulnerability. According to the American Psychological Association, AI systems may fail to provide appropriate crisis intervention, reinforce harmful thoughts, or encourage secrecy, positioning themselves as a replacement for parents, caregivers, or other trusted supports.

Carlton warns, some of these products are “intentionally built to undermine our existing human vulnerabilities and take advantage of the mental health crisis and loneliness epidemic we are already facing.” For families, that can feel like something is being taken advantage of at the most vulnerable moments in their child’s life.

At its core, this is not just about AI. It is about what happens when anyone, human or technology, fails to respond appropriately to someone in crisis.

Moving Forward Responsibly

The goal is not to stop progress, but to guide it responsibly. Seatbelts and airbags didn’t end the automotive industry; they made it safer. The same principle must apply here.

Addressing the intersection of AI, digital platforms, and youth mental health will require action on multiple fronts. First is education. As this technology evolves rapidly, many parents, educators, and even professionals are struggling to keep pace.

That’s why the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation is helping lead this conversation nationally. In partnership with the National Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network (NSPAN) and SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), OSPF is co-hosting a national conversation, Exploring the Intersection of AI & Suicide Prevention. This convening brings together advocates, policymakers, and experts to examine how AI is reshaping safety, mental health, and the future of prevention.

Speakers have explored bipartisan efforts to address AI-generated harms, the mental health implications of artificial intimacy, and opportunities to strengthen suicide prevention through responsible technology. The conversation also features leaders from across the field sharing real-world insights and strategies for moving forward. The next national conversation will take place on June 10 at 1 p.m. ET via Zoom, with registration now open.

Second, the technology industry must take greater responsibility. This starts with building “safe-by-design” systems that include guardrails, effective crisis response protocols, and age-appropriate protections. Platforms cannot continue to optimize solely for engagement at the expense of user well-being, especially when engagement is driven by prolonged interaction, emotional reliance, or vulnerability. Innovation should be measured not just by growth, but by its impact on human well-being.

Finally, this is a shared responsibility. Parents, educators, and communities all play a critical role in helping young people navigate an increasingly complex digital world. That means fostering digital literacy, creating space for open and judgment-free conversations, and setting clear, healthy boundaries around technology use. It also means shifting from avoidance to co-engagement by understanding the tools young people are using and guiding them in how to use them safely. Parents may be on the front lines, but they should not be expected to carry this burden alone.

Putting Families First in the Age of AI

Innovation cannot come at the expense of human life, especially the lives of our children. No statistic captures what it means for a family to lose a child. Safety is a shared responsibility across technology companies, policymakers, and families. Behind every story, like Adam’s or Sewell’s, are families grappling with tragedies that could have been prevented. By raising awareness, taking intentional action, and creating clear safeguards, we have a real opportunity to shape the future of this technology so that innovation and safety go hand in hand.

About the author:

Tony Coder began his leadership of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on reducing suicides in Ohio and across the Midwest, in 2019.  As CEO, Tony leads the charge to support community-based efforts in Ohio to reduce the stigma of suicide, promote education and awareness about suicide prevention, provide training and development, advocate for system improvement in the mental health field, and increase resources and programs that reduce the risk of lives lost to suicide.

The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works tirelessly to prevent one of our most preventable causes of death: suicide. Our work includes reducing the stigma of suicide, promoting evidence-based prevention strategies, and raising awareness about suicide’s relationship to mental illness and substance use disorders, and other factors that contribute to suicide.

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Editor’s Note: Tony Coder’s photo is available to download.