Children's reliance on chatbots 'a problem already', Dubai educators warn

Education experts fear children are becoming too dependent on chatbots for advice, rather than speaking to parents and teachers.

They warn that children are turning to AI for guidance about their feelings, friendships and personal problems, and the chatbots' round-the-clock availability means young people can seek answers and reassurance without speaking to another person.

Advocates for the technology say AI offers a space to reflect, express frustration or seek discreet reassurance. However, educators say young people are relying on systems that cannot understand their emotions or recognise when they need help.

“It's not down the line. It's a problem already,” Neil Hopkin, director of education at Fortes Education, told The National at the GESS Dubai education conference on Tuesday.

He said some children were beginning to treat AI chatbots as friends, despite the technology being unable to offer the same emotional support as a parent, teacher or trusted adult.

“AI doesn't do that. It can fake some of that, so it can fake empathy,” Dr Hopkin added. “We've seen that as a problem in the way that some of the chatbots talk with young children, and very quickly the child believes that this is a friend when it's not.”

Show caption: Neil Hopkin, of Fortes Education, warns that some children v…

He said chatbots often agreed with users or encouraged their existing opinions, rather than questioning them or offering another perspective.

This could be particularly concerning when children turn to AI during difficult or emotional situations, he added.

AI offers privacy

Researchers at Ajman University found a link between seeking help from AI and symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression in a study of 433 university students in the UAE, published in March.

The researchers said AI could appeal to young people because it allowed them to seek help privately, without fear of being judged.

A separate study involving 360 students at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman found that 11.9 per cent had used AI chatbots for mental health support.

The research, also published in March, found that 54.7 per cent preferred traditional therapy, compared with 23.1 per cent who preferred chatbot-based treatment.

Dr Hopkin said the concern was that children could begin sharing personal problems with AI rather than speaking to someone who knew them and could recognise when something was wrong.

He also warned that some AI-powered toys and devices could collect large amounts of personal information about children and their families. He said stronger safeguards were needed to protect young users.

'Dependency becoming an obsession'

Dr Kulangara Jacob Johnson, director of the Centre for Design and Innovation for Public Purpose at American School of Dubai, said he was also concerned about children becoming dependent on AI.

“I think being dependent on anything is a problem. And the dependency, in my opinion, is becoming an obsession,” he told The National.

Show caption: Dr Kulangara Jacob Johnson, of the American School Of Dubai,…

Dr Johnson said the speed and convenience of AI made it tempting for children to turn to chatbots whenever they needed an answer, whether for homework or personal advice.

But he cautioned against assuming that children who used AI frequently were necessarily losing their ability to think independently. Instead, he said they could be developing different ways of learning and processing information.

“It doesn't mean that they’re losing his cognitive ability. They are redefining what cognition is.”

The challenge for schools and parents, he said, was to make sure children continued to question what AI told them rather than accepting every answer. He suggested encouraging pupils to use chatbots to challenge their ideas or to ask questions, rather than simply to provide solutions.

Ahlam Bolooki, chief executive of the Emirates Literature Foundation, told The National recently that children must learn to navigate technology and AI effectively.

“The danger in children being exposed to AI so early on might mean that they are satisfied with the early answer and they don’t dig deeper,” she said.

For adults who developed their thinking skills before AI became widely available, questioning information and seeking alternative perspectives may feel more natural. The challenge is ensuring children develop those instincts rather than simply accepting the first response a machine provides.

What should parents and schools do?

Both Dr Hopkin and Dr Johnson said banning AI was unlikely to solve the problem, particularly when children were already using the technology in their daily lives.

Dr Johnson urged parents to speak openly with their children about AI and help them to understand that its answers were not always correct or appropriate.

Dr Hopkin said schools also had an important role to play, particularly as AI became more common in classrooms across the UAE.

He said parents, teachers and technology companies needed to work together to make sure children were using AI safely.

Despite the growing capabilities of the technology, he said human relationships would remain essential to children's development.

“I don't see AI replacing teachers. What I do see is that the nature of teaching will change.”

Dr Hopkin said schools would continue to play an important role in helping children build relationships, understand others and develop empathy, which he believes AI cannot replace.