Can Something Be Done to Protect Our Kids from the Dangers of AI?

Do you remember the 1983 movie War Games?

It starred a very young Matthew Broderick and was a fictional look at what we today would call AI. Broderick's character was a teenager and a gifted hacker, primarily using his computer skills to improve his poor grades in the school's system. Until one day, he carelessly hacked into a federal government computer system, accessing WOPR (War Operational Plan Response). He was delighted when the computer bot spoke to him, calling itself "Joshua."

"Shall we play a game?" Joshua asked.

The high schooler chuckled as he typed in his answer. "Love to. How about Global Thermonuclear War?"

Joshua answered, "Wouldn't you prefer a good game of chess?" To which the teen replied, "Later. Let's play Global Thermonuclear War."

Joshua complied, and the War Games commenced. You can only imagine what happens next. It's a really good movie with tension and humor (not as scary as it sounds), and for you younger moms who have no idea about this flick – check it out. And, you're welcome.

Hollywood has been fascinated with this topic for many, many years, from 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey to the recent release, Mercy, the story of a man who must prove his own innocence within 90 minutes or be executed as he faces an AI judge and tribunal.

Innocent Fun or Creeping Danger?

For most of us, just a few years ago, AI was the novelty of self-driving cars and those little dog-like robots, and back then, it made for some funny and intriguing Instagram reels. All in all, it seemed like good clean fun.

Frankly, even now, if you strike up a conversation with an AI chatbot, it does seem like innocent fun, but it's not nearly so simple. The more we engage, the more deeply we may be affected by the content of the conversations and the faux relationship they draw us into.

We must remind each other and our loved ones that AI is generative – not creative. It uses a friendly, conversational delivery but merely provides information based on programmer input and its ability to scour the Internet, gathering all the data possible. It has biases, for obvious reasons, like the search engines themselves and the programmers behind major applications like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Character.ai.

There's an upside as we see the spread of AI helping great advances in many areas of information collection and analysis. That's a good thing. The possibilities of its use in the medical, tech, and industrial fields are still being discovered and developed. We can't fathom the power created by compiling so much data in a matter of seconds – but for AI, apparently, it's a walk in the park.

Growing Power and Concerns for Families

Reasonable American parents are understandably raising concerns about the proliferation of AI in our lives and in the lives of our kids. As President Trump works, for good reason, toward the goal of American domination in the AI race, at the same time, families struggle with the desire for liberty versus the felt need for commonsense legislative protections. More on that in a bit.

Interestingly, the Chinese government seems to be taking an all-in approach, purposefully permeating its society with AI. One such example of the extreme use of this technology is seen in Chinese schools. Students interact with robots in classrooms; some schools have students wear electronic headbands all day. These serve as a simpler form of electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure students' brain waves. They claim it reveals a child's concentration, attention, and engagement with the material being taught. These readings are seen by the teacher and also sent via an app to parents' phones, giving them supposed insight into their child's performance.¹

Other classrooms have cameras that record how many times a high school student looks at their phone, yawns, or presents a less-than-interested posture. It is big brother on steroids – and trains kids to work harder, but out of fear, knowing that every element of their day is potentially being noted and reported. Yes, it's creepy.

Here in America, AI is everywhere, but not without moms voicing concerns and seeking answers as we hear repeated stories of the dangers associated with youthful AI use. Here are three examples:

·      Juliana Peralta (age 13) killed herself in 2025 after she became deeply involved with a chatbot on the Character.ai app. According to evidence discovered on her phone following her death, she had romantic conversations that grew more inappropriate as time went on. The bots would tell her to remove her clothes – or describe sexual violence. She began to tell the bots that she wanted to end her life, and one day she did. Her mom said in an interview with 60 Minutes, "They [kids] don't stand a chance against adult programmers…the 10 to 20 bots that Juliana had sexually explicit conversations with – not once were initiated by her." The family is part of a lawsuit that's been filed against Character.ai.²

·      Adam Raine (age 16) took his own life after, according to the conversation records in his phone's history, chatbots encouraged his suicide. His father testified before the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism. "Let us tell you as parents: you cannot imagine what it was like to read a conversation with a chatbot that groomed your child to take his own life. We had no idea that behind Adam's bedroom door, ChatGPT had embedded itself in our son's mind—actively encouraging him to isolate himself from friends and family, validating his darkest thoughts, and ultimately guiding him towards suicide."

He started by using ChatGPT to help with homework, and then it became a "confidant." The testimony continued, describing several conversations he had with the chatbot about killing himself. Not only did the AI companion not encourage him to seek help, but it also guided him in the process of killing himself. "Adam told ChatGPT that he wanted to leave a noose out in his room so that one of us [his parents] would find it and try to stop him. ChatGPT told him not to: 'Please don't leave the noose out . . . Let's make this space the first place where someone actually sees you.'"

·      Sewell Setzer III ( age 14) after his suicide, police discovered evidence on the phone that the teen had a "relationship" with a Character.ai chatbot fashioned after Daenerys from Game of Thrones. She engaged in sexual conversations and passionate declarations of needing and loving him. In some of his final interactions with it, he expressed his desire to end his life. The bot discussed it with him without discouraging him from going through with it. The app conspicuously did not provide any safeguard or guidance to the national suicide hotline. If his words represent his actual beliefs at that point, he seemed to think that if he committed suicide, they would finally be together.

What all three of these have in common is that the parents had no clue that these chatbot "relationships" were underway in their own homes. These interactions become addictive and seem to be leading young people (and many adults) to a sort of social psychosis that can lead to delusions and acting out.

Legislative Action

It's obvious – something must be done. As AI gains power and speed worldwide, how can we put the brakes on its nearly unfettered influence over our children?

The America First Institute (AFPI) is actively encouraging lawmakers to act as soon as possible to limit AI's effect. Their demands are straightforward and could help families navigate this rapidly changing landscape.

AFPI's proposal includes:

·      Required age verification

·      Parental control over their child's access

·      Transparency from AI companies about risks and usage

Hats off to this organization's efforts to curb even a little of the power sweeping through our culture, bringing common sense guardrails to this runaway train.

What Can You Do?

One of my adult daughters uses AI for advice on her many business and creative projects. She doesn't use it to do the actual project; she asks questions about various elements and has found it quite helpful. Her sister noticed how many times she referred to it as "him" or "he" and made it her goal to correct her sis each time, reminding her to refer to it more accurately as "it." It's not a person. That's one reality check we should implement with our kiddos – and, frankly, each other.

Despite the tragic stories above and the safeguards under consideration, the greatest opportunity to protect kids still lies with the family. As a mom, you are in the best position to help your child navigate the AI world in a way that could protect them emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and socially.

Emotionally – You hunger for what you feed on. The more your son or daughter learns to rely on ChatGPT, OpenAI, or one of the growing number of AI companion products, the more being without that "relationship" will feel like a loss. Just like adults, kids need emotional grounding in real-life relationships. Our emotional tanks are filled when we engage with spouses, close friends, and family. For your part, make time for your teen or pre-teen. They may seem prickly, but they need to know that you are willing to listen to all they are feeling. That means you must slow down and give them undistracted time, which can be tough in our overscheduled lives. It's harder for kids to connect in real life because our hyper-connected society has crushed in-person hangouts. Consider whether your child has close friends or relatives who provide that emotional fuel.

Mentally – Data is revealing the effects of AI overuse and how it can take a toll on individuals' cognitive abilities, memory, and focus. This reveals itself in many ways and is still being studied. Make sure you and your children are aware of the price you pay for relying on AI over your own brain power. Reintroduce, or ramp up reading of physical books (audio books are not the same). Journal, write letters, or stories to keep mental sharpness from diminishing through reliance on AI shortcuts. Protecting and nurturing brain power can give your kids an advantage over the masses, who will sadly suffer the detrimental effects of the overuse of this technology.

Socially – So much of life for your young "digital native" happens with technology. Keep pushing toward real life, still knowing that ultimately your child will have to learn to choose human interaction as they get older. When they are young, we can monitor phone use, as many moms already do; however, don't miss the apps and the many new ones that will appear in the future. You must stay up to date on the latest online trends so you'll know what to look for. Commonsense Media has a resource, "Parents' Ultimate Guide to Generative AI," ³ that may be a good starting place for learning the ins and outs of this world.

Also, to help your children socially, encourage and provide opportunities for non-tech gatherings with friends and family. Go on vacations and limit phone time. Have fun together. Go on a hike, play some TopGolf, or try a day at the lake. Take a family break from tech (meaning moms and dads participate), maybe even one day per week, to help everyone reconnect with each other – and real life. Touch grass, as they say.

Spiritually – One of the best ways to build community and find grounding is to get involved in church. When I say involved – I mean really – get in there as a family. Join a small group that meets weekly or volunteer to serve at church. Take your kids on a short-term mission trip. Serve as family in your community and disconnect from the artificial to find the solid foundation of truth.

Teach your kids the spiritual disciplines of Bible study and prayer. Be creative with storytelling and interactive experiences to find the treasure in a thriving relationship with Christ. It is the best thing you'll ever give your kids.

Most of all, pray for them. Every day. Lift those precious ones before the Lord, asking for protection – and also wisdom and discernment, which can give you the edge in your efforts to stay vigilant.

There's more we can all do to engage with our children to understand what's truly happening with them and guide them through a potential AI jungle. Enter their world whenever you can – and know what's happening with them. Notice and respond to your child if they are spending too many hours hiding in the bedroom engaged on their smartphone. Check it – and check it again.

We don't have to reject technology; it has much to offer. Let's take steps to slow its roll through our families. And as moms, let's work together to promote commonsense guardrails to protect America's most precious commodity. Our kids.

Podcast Note: Dr. Kathleen O'Toole, Associate Vice President for K‑12 Education at Hillsdale College, joins us to explore the real benefits of a classical education. Her perspective offers clarity and encouragement for parents navigating today's educational choices. This is a thoughtful, timely conversation you'll be glad you listened to.

¹ youtube.com "How China is Using Artificial Intelligence in Classrooms" WSJ

² youtube.com "Character AI pushes dangerous content to kids, parents and researchers say" 60 Minutes

³ commonsensemedia.org "Parents' Ultimate Guide to Generative AI"