Young Canadians are speaking out about the addictive nature of AI chatbots, and they want the government to take action. The report, published by McGill University’s Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy and Simon Fraser University's Dialogue on Technology Project, highlights the concerns of young people aged 17 to 23 regarding the addictive design of AI chatbots. The participants in the report's roundtables discussed their personal experiences with chatbots, including the apps they use late at night, the sense of companionship they find in AI, and the realization that they've started relying on AI for tasks they never needed help with before. They also talked about encountering problematic content and the lack of recourse when things go wrong. One participant, Laryssa McGlashon, admitted to using chatbots more than she'd like, while Yusuf Zawahir raised concerns about the mental health impact of chatbots, noting that his generation uses them as therapists. Graeme Lavrence expressed worries about cognitive off-loading and the erosion of critical thinking skills due to the everyday use of AI tools. The report recommends that AI platforms be required to address the addictive design of chatbots through measures like content filters, data cache deletion, and user control over responsiveness and conversationality. It also calls for social media platforms and search engines to offer easy opt-out options for integrated AI technologies and suggests the creation of a new government body to evaluate systems, audit algorithms, and enforce safety standards. The federal government is already working on legislation to address online privacy and harms, and a national AI strategy is promised. The report underscores the participants' feeling of exclusion from governance processes on digital issues, particularly in discussions around age assurance and the vulnerability of children and young people. It also highlights privacy concerns around age verification technologies and calls for a standardized system to restrict access to generative AI platforms. The report was developed through four consultation events involving 100 young people, and it was praised by Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon and Culture Minister Marc Miller, who acknowledged the importance of the group's recommendations as they work on addressing the challenges posed by AI chatbots.
