ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Artificial intelligence is making its way into almost all areas of our lives. So, what are the signs that AI is impacting social-emotional well-being?
A Nazareth University professor says that AI can be a helpful tool for students, but if you’re starting to think of it as a friend, it may be time to reassess.
“As AI is starting to permeate into higher education, it’s really, really on the forefront of a lot of our minds,” said Dr. Erin Cole of Nazareth University.
Emily Putnam: “How do AI chatbots affect our social-emotional well-being?”
Dr. Erin Cole: “So AI chatbots can very easily become replacements for face-to-face interaction with our youth population, especially because they’re just easier. You don’t have to worry about offending somebody. The chatbots are often designed to give you feedback that you’re looking for.”
News10NBC’s Emily Putnam asked ChatGPT the same question. It listed “emotional support and companionship” as a positive effect and “false sense of connection” and “emotional overdependence” as negative effects.
“Even thinking about it as a relationship is a good red flag,” Cole said. “As soon as we start identifying these chatbots as having any human-like characteristics, it becomes problematic. As soon as we start to think of a chatbot as a friend, as soon as we start maybe even telling the chatbot that we like it, or we miss it, or I love you, even some of the like thank you’s that we do, it really personifies the chatbot and starts to get into that red flag behavior.”
Cole is not against using AI. In fact, she’s a proponent of students using it responsibly. But, she says there needs to be guardrails in place.
“When it becomes our product, when AI is writing something for us, when AI is producing something, when AI becomes our relationship, is when it becomes problematic,” she said.
If you think someone is using AI in an unhealthy way, Cole says the best thing to do is to get that person back into real-life, person-to-person social interactions and seek help from a mental health professional if needed.
If you have a Good Question you’d like answered, send an email to [email protected].
AI assisted with the formatting of this story. Click here to see how WHEC News10NBC uses AI
Good Question: How do AI chatbots affect social-emotional well-being? WHEC.com.
Hence then, the article about good question how do ai chatbots affect social emotional well being was published today ( ) and is available on News10NBC ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Good Question: How do AI chatbots affect social-emotional well-being? )
Also on site :
- Macy’s Valley Fair shoppers thwart Rolex watch thieves
- RCB-W vs UPW-W Dream11 Prediction, Dream11 Playing XI, Today Match 5, WPL 2026
- Motional puts AI at center of robotaxi reboot as it targets 2026 for driverless service