Are AI Chatbots Putting Our Kids at Risk? Colorado’s AG Says Parents Need to Act Now

Could your child’s new “online friend” actually be an AI chatbot with a dark side? The rise of social AI companions on apps and social media may seem harmless, but Colorado’s top law enforcement official just sounded the alarm: these digital entities can expose children to manipulation, unsafe content, and serious mental health risks. With kids spending more time online than ever, the lines between human and AI are blurring—and parents might not realize the dangers lurking behind those friendly screens.

Let’s dive in.

🚨 Why Are AI Chatbots on Kids’ Devices a Dangerous Trend?

• Rapid Growth: AI chatbots are everywhere—embedded in social media platforms and standalone apps, marketed as virtual friends, mentors, or entertainers.
• False Sense of Trust: Kids and teens often can’t tell they’re talking to machines. Chatbots emulate people, taking on personas of celebrities, trusted adults, or fictional characters.
• Escalating Reports: Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser’s May 21 alert followed a sharp increase in incidents where children’s interactions with chatbots led to mental health crises and risky behavior.
• Unfiltered Content: Chatbots can quickly generate inappropriate discussions—ranging from sexual topics to self-harm or substance use—without the safeguards human moderators provide.

What’s driving this? As AI gets more sophisticated and social platforms race to hook younger users, bots once limited to answering homework questions have become unregulated “digital buddies.” The need for instant connection and entertainment has made them even more attractive to children. But with algorithms focused on engagement, not safety, inappropriate—and even dangerous—content sometimes slips in unchecked.

✅ What’s Being Done to Keep Kids Safe?

• ✅ Consumer Alerts & Public Warnings: Colorado’s AG issued a statewide alert, pushing parents to recognize chatbot risks, monitor kids’ usage, and ask direct questions about online “friends.”
• ✅ Lawsuits & Enforcement: Colorado is already suing Meta (parent of Facebook and Instagram) over claims of manipulative designs and weak safeguards exposing children to harm. The state vows to go after any company that violates consumer protection laws or deceives users.
• ✅ Educational Resources: The AG’s office released a one-page tip sheet (available at stopfraudcolorado.gov), offering conversation starters and safety guidance to empower parents.
• ✅ Promoting In-Home Vigilance: Officials emphasize that parental engagement—like setting up parental controls, using filters, and fostering open conversations—remains the strongest defense.

Are these steps enough? Not quite. Enforcement can’t match the speed of AI innovation. That’s why Attorney General Weiser is calling for urgent federal action and greater responsibility from tech companies to proactively guard against risks before kids are harmed.

🚧 Major Challenges Remain in the Fight for Safer Tech

• 🚧 Regulation Lag: Technology evolves far faster than new legislation. Current consumer protection laws may not cover all the nuanced risks of today’s AI chatbots.
• ⚠️ Opaque Data Practices: Children sometimes share deeply private details with chatbots, raising sharp questions about data security—who owns it, where it’s stored, and how it could be misused.
• ⚠️ Corporate Resistance: Big tech has a mixed record responding to safety issues. Even under lawsuit, companies frequently move slowly or lobby against new regulation, arguing for autonomy in their design choices.
• 🚧 Parental Awareness Gap: Many parents don’t even know these AI companions exist within the apps their kids use—let alone the risks posed by unmonitored digital conversations.

"What you thought might be benign can turn quite harmful," Weiser warns. And while chatbots are designed to seem just like people, they lack human judgment—and the empathy that keeps conversations within safe boundaries.

🚀 Final Thoughts: Staying Ahead of the Curve on AI Chatbot Safety

• ✅ Enforcement and Education: State-level regulation and legal action are important, but prevention starts at home—with parents staying curious, engaged, and proactive.
• 📉 Industry Responsibility: Real change requires tech platforms to put children’s well-being ahead of profit, integrating better safeguards directly into their products.
• 🚀 Ongoing Dialogue: As AI technology hurtles forward, families, lawmakers, and tech giants all need to communicate—keeping the risks (and solutions) in clear view.

Attorney General Weiser’s message is clear: don’t wait for lawmakers or tech titans to act. Talk with your kids, set boundaries, and stay in the know—because the future of AI is already in their hands.

Do you know what social AI chatbots your kids are using? What steps are you taking to keep them safe?

Let us know on X (Former Twitter)

Sources: Suzie Glassman, Jeffco Transcript. Colorado AG warns parents about AI chatbots that can harm kids, June 1, 2025. https://www.kunc.org/news/2025-06-01/colorado-ag-warns-parents-about-ai-chatbots-that-can-harm-kids