<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian teachers and parents are concerned young students are developing unhealthy emotional attachments to </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/artificial-intelligence" rel="" target="_blank" title="artificial intelligence"><span>artificial intelligence</span></a><span> (AI) chatbots.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>We are now at the dawn of a rapidly evolving AI revolution and the line between internet and reality is becoming increasingly blurred.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's started to ring some faint alarm bells in schools across the country: are young Australians in danger of falling into an AI blackhole?</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/macquarie-repay-shield-investors-michael-donovan-relieved-to-be-refunded-after-collapse-exclusive/c2381615-6ff9-41fc-a773-322d9a1fdb25" target="_blank" title="Micki thought he'd lost $150,000. Then an email landed in his inbox"><strong><span>Micki thought he'd lost $150,000. Then an email landed in his inbox</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Do you have a story? Contact</span></strong></em><span> </span><strong><em><span>reporter April Glover at</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="mailto:april.glover@nine.com.au" target="" title="april.glover@nine.com.au"><em><strong><span>april.glover@nine.com.au</span></strong></em></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Queensland principal Mike Curtis is not waiting for it to happen to one of his students before intervening.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He's not so concerned about ChatGPT writing essays.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/ai-relationship-could-you-fall-in-love-with-chatbot-aussies-admit-theres-a-chance-children-most-at-risk/d0e55ce2-991f-4d70-86ed-3122c007b1ae" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Instead, he has warned parents that children may be secretly forming unhealthy bonds with their AI companion.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Curtis became concerned when he read about a 14-year-old boy in the US who took his own life after developing a romantic relationship with an AI companion.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Megan Garcia </span><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/60-minutes/character-ai-grieving-mum-warns-against-dangers-of-falling-in-love-with-ai-bot/20dea098-76e4-43ac-9c04-b83c451f67e3" rel="" target="_blank" title="is now suing the creators of Character.AI over the death of her son"><span>is now suing the creators of Character.AI over the death of her son</span></a><span>, Sewell Setzer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was really disturbing, and I had never really heard of such a thing, so I thought this is something that our parents need to know about," the Glasshouse Christian College principal told </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/" rel="" target="_blank" title="9news.com.au"><span>9news.com.au</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Particularly the fact it can be so insidious to get inside a kid's mind and change it in that way."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In Curtis' blog post, titled </span><em><span>Who Is Your Child's Best Friend?</span></em><span>, he told parents to be wary of kids spending too much time with a virtual companion.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Real friendships are messy, imperfect and challenging; however, that is a healthy reality," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Spending hours with a virtual companion that will tell you whatever it thinks you want to hear is a dangerous fantasy."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Curtis said the best antidote was open communication and spending quality time with loved ones.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's the same as any red flags when you think your child is going down a rabbit hole online, and that is that they withdraw a lot more, they don't want to talk about things other than their computer," Curtis added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Kids do tend to be very secretive about it, and just the fact that it's a phone, it's a very difficult thing to even just cop a glance at the screen.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's about keeping the conversation open and honest and non-judgmental."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A spokesperson for Victoria's Department of Education said it continues to take children's online safety seriously and provides help to parents concerned about excessive AI use.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"All schools support the development of health and positive relationships, and provide mental health and wellbeing supports for students," a spokesperson told 9news.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"These supports can assist families to support young people if they are at risk due to engagement with chatbots."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The state's 2025-26 budget saw a $3.5 million investment into digital literacy resources, which includes navigating social media and AI.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dr Catriona Davis-McCabe, professor of psychology at the Cairnmillar Institute, told </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/" rel="" target="_blank" title="9news.com.au"><span>9news.com.au</span></a><span> that children may seek "companionship", romantic or otherwise, from an AI bot as a response to stress or loneliness.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Some children are using AI as a source of information on mental health, such as seeking advice or to help understand their feelings," Davis-McCabe said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"In some situations, this can be appropriate especially where the young person is not yet ready or able to talk to a person about their experiences.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"However, this depends on the AI model providing accurate, evidence-based, age-appropriate information."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>AI's uncharacteristic ability to simulate empathy is driving more and more people to develop a relationship with their robot companion.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/esta-visa-perth-woman-denied-boarding-on-flight-to-hawaii-to-visit-husbands-family/f659f6a8-da4e-4263-b9a0-6f958b639a51" rel="" target="_blank" title="An unexpected email ruined Perth couple's $3000 trip to Hawaii"><strong><span>An unexpected email ruined Perth couple's $3000 trip to Hawaii</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It comes as a recent YouGov survey found one in seven Australians could imagine themselves "falling in love" with an AI chatbot.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australians aged between 18 and 24 were the most likely to become romantically attached, according to the data.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A further one in five Aussies admitted to opening up or becoming "emotionally vulnerable" with an AI chatbot.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Davis-McCabe said this concept is nothing to scoff at – and almost anyone could be susceptible.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Many people – even with good social connections – can be at risk of developing an emotional attachment with an AI chatbot, due to the stimulation of the brain's reward pathways that encourages reliance similar to other problematic dependencies/addiction," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Chatbots are often designed to encourage ongoing interaction, which can feel 'addictive' and lead to overuse and even dependency."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Her advice, like Curtis', is for parents to gently encourage their children to step away from screens and re-enter the real world.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Discuss the difference between artificial and genuine relationships," Davis-McCabe said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The best approach is to express curiosity and concern, and to remind children that they are not alone, and that if they have an online experience that concerns them, or if they make a mistake and realise belatedly that they are at risk, that they can talk to you about it and will not get into trouble for mistakes."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Australian Psychological Society (APS) is calling for more investment and research to understand the "full psychological impacts of AI use".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The use of AI can change fundamental human experiences including relationships, decision-making, autonomy and so on," Davis-McCabe added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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