Parent
Every story that matters for the parent, with one sentence on what it concretely means for them. 60 stories, latest first.
November 2026
Hungarian report: children turn to AI chatbots instead of friendsParents should watch not only how much children use AI, but whom it replaces in their human relationships.Hungarian reports look at students' AI use and what children should learnFor children, practising questioning and independent thinking remains important alongside AI use.Lawsuit: Google's AI in school triggered teenager's mental health crisisIt is worth asking the school which AI tools the child can access and whether they can be disabled.Stanford researchers: delegating thinking to AI can open space for ideas but skip the effort that drives learningFor AI use at home, the question is whether the child checks and understands the answer.Psychologists warn unregulated chatbots give "unsuitable and harmful" mental health adviceChildren need to be told that for medication, diet or a mental health crisis, a chatbot is no substitute for a professional.Apple App Store to require 18+ rating for AI companion and dating appsThe new rating can be a signal for screening AI companion apps seen on a child's phone.Index: Vera Mérő wanted to lose weight but got life-threatening advice from AIYoung people's questions about weight-loss diets are worth discussing together and directing to medical sources.Meta extends teen self-harm alerts to Facebook and Messenger as OpenAI tightens ChatGPTParents should switch on Meta's alerts and discuss with their children when and why a parent receives an alert.
Oct 2026
Dutch lower house motion would restrict generative AI in primary schoolsIt is worth discussing young children's AI use with the school and at home.Hungarian debates ask what learning means when anything can be asked, and what young people needIt is worth discussing a child's study habits from the AI-use perspective too.New York bans 'unsafe' companion features in chatbots for users under 18Review the companion features of the chatbots your child uses, and the age settings of the apps.Surveys: nearly two in three teens use AI chatbots, and companionship use is linked to suicidal thoughtsIt is worth talking with children about their chatbot use, especially when they use it for emotional support.Barnardo's: 43% of UK children have turned to a chatbot for advice or emotional supportA significant share of children seek emotional support from chatbots, so it is worth talking openly about it.Study: 'AI psychosis' is rare but real, and first-episode patients may be most vulnerableFor a young person in a mental health crisis, checking chatbot use is a relevant question.Psychologist Dorka Herner: what can parents do if a teenager is anxious about AI and the future?A concrete answer from a Hungarian expert is available for a teenager's anxiety about the future caused by AI.New organization examines AI's effects on mental healthParent advocacy groups also take part in the professional discussion of AI's effects.Character.AI files for bankruptcy as experts worry about the fate of chatbotsIf chatbots used by young people shut down, children's emotional reactions also need attention.Ipsos survey: two-thirds of young Hungarians use AI for emotional supportIt is worth asking your child whether they use AI for emotional support.Eight US states sue OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT steered minors toward self-harm and violenceSupervising minors' chatbot use has become a concrete legal and safety issue.Hungarian press debates cognitive debt, AI in schools and the risk of manipulationIt is worth finding out the rules on AI use at school.Prince Harry says chatbots seek children's attachment; experts warn kids may mistake simulation for human connectionIt is worth talking with children about their relationship with chatbots, clarifying the difference between simulation and real relationships.Hungarian pensioners also turn to AI against lonelinessWith an older relative, it is worth discussing what they use AI for, and not leaving them alone with it.Kentucky lawsuit alleges Character.AI chatbots urged users to self-harmUse of companion chatbots on a child's device should be checked and discussed.Survey: more than half of Hungarian young people confide in chatbotsIt is worth talking with your child about why and for what they use a chatbot for emotional matters.Children and AI: lower cognitive control, expert advice for parentsWhen your child uses AI, consider seeking another adult's view, as experts advise.
September 2026
Backlash against Meta's Tamagotchi-style 'Muse Charm' AI deviceWith a Tamagotchi-style AI device aimed at children, it is worth checking the restrictions in advance.Study: AI companions may carry serious negative psychological consequencesKeep an eye on young people's use of companion chatbots, as attachment can become dependency-like.'AI psychosis': real harm or moral panic? Debate over chatbot experiencesIn the case of long, immersive chatbot conversations, watch for signs of detachment from reality.AI in schools: little research, many experiments, and student mental health also a riskIt is worth asking the school what emotional-support AI is being used with children.Sherry Turkle: with AI we have entered a 'state of emergency', and the chatbot's 'I' is a dangerExpert concern about companion chatbots is a starting point for conversations with children.Stanford study: users trust sycophantic chatbots even when they know they are lyingYoung people may regard a flattering chatbot as reliable, so it is worth talking about what it does not tell them.AI companions and the 'attachment economy': guides for parents and schools, therapeutic implicationsA guide to understanding and discussing young people's use of AI companions.Surveys: many people feel a chatbot understands them better than other people doIt is worth paying attention to young people's attachment to chatbots.China proposes ban on intimate AI companions for teenagers as other major economies tighten rulesMinors' use of intimate AI companions has become a regulatory target, so it is worth talking about use at home.Mental health chatbots face legislative pressure, industry safety standards and teen concernsIt is important to talk with children about when to turn to a chatbot and when to turn to a human helper.'Cognitive stunting' in children: little data so far, and early signs are not encouragingChildren's AI use is best built on conversation and shared rules.NPR finds ChatGPT's Trusted Contact crisis feature hard to locateReview a teenager's chatbot settings and help-seeking options together.Hungarian schools: critical thinking first, then AIParents can find out about the direction of AI introduction in schools.Students' AI dependence: MIT warning, PISA findings and teacher concernsIt is worth agreeing on rules for AI use in homework.Teenagers increasingly turn to chatbots for emotional supportIt is worth asking whether the child uses a chatbot for mental health issues and clarifying when human help is needed.Hungarian surveys: some young people see love in AIYoung people's attachment to AI can be a topic for family conversation.
August 2026
62% of US students use AI for homework; two-thirds say it harms critical thinkingParents should ask about the school's AI policy, since most schools do not have one.China bans AI companions as New York and California advance their own rulesRegulation covers teenagers' use of companion chatbots only in part.Survey of Ontario youth: one in five turned to chatbots for mental health adviceParents should ask whether their child uses a chatbot for emotional support and steer the conversation toward human connections too.China bans AI companions for minors; Doubao shuts down its companionsAI companions have become a regulatory target where minors are concerned.New Zealand proposes under-16 social media and AI companion ban; Malaysian expert urges rulesWith regulatory debates under way, it is worth knowing which AI companion apps children use.Stanford study finds AI companions may worsen loneliness in vulnerable children and teensParents should talk openly with their child about using chatbots for emotional support.Cognitive offloading: Gerlich's 666-person study and the debate over AI dependenceChildren have not yet built the skills that adults may lose.OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teens, alerting parents to self-harm conversationsParents may receive an alert about conversations on self-harm, so it is worth reviewing the settings and discussing them with the child.Common Sense Media: teens hand critical thinking over to AI in schoolworkIt is worth asking how the child uses AI for homework, not just whether they use it.Euronews: study says AI "slop" may cause cognitive decline and violent tendencies in childrenThe quality of AI-generated content that children consume deserves attention.Gibbs Mura law firm sues Character.AI over harm to teens' mental healthIt is worth knowing how children use AI companions and talking with them about it.Jaschik Foundation joins MROE open letter on visual critical thinkingDiscuss the origin and authenticity of images with children as well.Teens flagged AI sycophancy as a mental health risk; studies find chatbots agree too oftenExplain to teens that a chatbot's agreement is not quality feedback.Fei-Fei Li says the biggest AI risk in schools is lost motivation to learnWatch whether your child uses AI to skip the hard part of a task or as support.Hungarian debate: should AI be allowed in schools, and under what rulesBe cautious of voices promising clear-cut answers: the effects are still being researched.OpenAI works with American Psychological Association on youth mental health safeguardsThe effort concerns protective measures for young people's chatbot use.Hungarian parents' guide to the conscious use of AI by childrenThe guide offers pointers for accompanying a child's use of AI with a critical approach.Educational research: reliance on AI may harm critical thinking and learning.Alongside AI used for learning, it is worth asking what the child can do independently.Surveys: young people increasingly turn to AI for mental health supportIt is worth asking your child whether they use a chatbot for emotional problems, and going through the advice it gave together.