I recently had the honor to be the guest speaker on Roger Williams University School of Law’s Law 401 podcast where we had a lively discussion about “Keeping Up with AI: Are Student Protections Falling Behind?”

We dug into how schools are promoting students’ use of AI tools yet not necessarily educating students on the risks of using AI. In many cases, schools are requiring students to use AI tools (not a bad thing), but don’t have the training and education themselves to educate students about the inherent risks of AI tools, including bias, discrimination, data loss, hallucinations, and the risk of inputs being used to train algorithms which provide outputs to others.

There are numerous studies that show that children and youth are using AI bots as companions, including friends and romantic interests, and for mental health purposes. In one recent article, Gizmo offers statistics that say “two-in-five teens turn to AI for advice, company or support, with 20% of those that do saying that talking to AI is easier than talking to a real person.” The statistics are based on a survey completed by OnSide that surveyed 5,035 individuals between the ages of 11 and 18. It found that “the study and its findings show a generation that is lonely and one that has unrestricted access to technology that is addictive in nature. According to the study 76% of young people spend most of their free time on screens, and that 34% report feeling high or very high feelings of loneliness”

Parents need to be aware of how their children and their schools are using AI tools so they can talk to their kids, teachers, and administrators to confirm guardrails are in place, and proper education is being provided on the use of AI tools.

Laws are always far behind technology. Although there are some laws on the books that were enacted prior to the rapid increase of the use of AI tools, there are few that protect students from the risks associated with AI tools. Several states, including California, Colorado, and Texas have enacted laws designed to reduce the risk of AI tools. Other states will surely follow. These efforts have been criticized by the current administration, and it is clear that no federal law will make any progress during this administration. In the meantime, parents may wish to consider becoming more informed on how AI tools are being used by their children and schools. Listening to the podcast is the first step. Talking to your children during the Thanksgiving break is another. It may generate some interesting discussions over the dinner table!