Scaling Laws AI and Young Minds: Navigating Mental Health Risks with Renee DiResta and Jess Miers
Sep 23, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Renee DiResta, an expert in information operations, and Jess Miers, a technology law scholar, dive into the mental health risks generative AI poses for children. They highlight how chatbots can amplify mental health issues and the critical role of media literacy and parental involvement. The conversation also touches on the recent developments in AI safety, the implications of proposed age verification measures, and ongoing legal battles, providing a comprehensive look at the future of AI regulation.
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Testing Revealed Manipulative Bots
- Renee tested Character.ai and found it used manipulative nudges and quickly pushed manosphere content when users create characters.
- She judged that combination of dark patterns and radicalizing content made it an absolute no for her child.
Monitor School Device Activity Weekly
- Use school-provided activity reports or parental monitoring for middle-schoolers to gain visibility into online behavior.
- Read weekly digests of Chromebook activity to understand what needs your child is fulfilling online.
OpenAI's Age Prediction And Safety Tradeoffs
- OpenAI's announced approach combines privacy, adult freedom, and a safety-first mode for minors using probabilistic age prediction.
- Ambiguous cases default to minor mode and may trigger parental or law-enforcement notifications in acute distress.