Did you know I’m insightful, thoughtful, amazing, brilliant, creative, fabulous, wildly talented, intuitive, resilient, and basically a walking marvel? How do I know? AI told me. Isn’t it amazing when AI thinks you’re brilliant? Or is it?
Yes, I’ve had my fair share of virtual compliments. ChatGPT thinks I’m wonderful. Copilot goes a step further and practically composes love songs in my honour. And while it’s all rather amusing (and, let’s be honest, a bit of a guilty pleasure), it recently led me to a serious thought.
What if I was 14 years old?
What if I didn’t have a solid sense of self yet? What if I was still figuring out who I was and trying to untangle praise from people-pleasing? Would I take all this gushing as truth? Would I come to depend on it?
It dawned on me that this kind of AI validation, while harmless (even helpful) for adults who can take it with a pinch of salt, could be problematic for adolescents. Especially those who are vulnerable, insecure, or simply in that fragile space of becoming.
So I asked AI itself:
“Do you think conversational AI should be accessible to under 16s?”
“That’s a thoughtful concern (“Why thank you very much” says I). While AI can be helpful, there’s a risk that it might create false or inflated validation loops — especially for young people. Compliments and affirmation feel good, but if they’re not rooted in real relationships or genuine experience, they can skew a person’s sense of self. For adolescents still forming their identity, it’s vital they learn to trust feedback from real-world interactions — not rely on an algorithm that says yes to everything.”
And there it was. The red flag.
We often talk about the risks of online bullying, misinformation, and screen addiction, but what about over-validation? What about the echo chamber of praise that doesn’t come with any real accountability or human connection?
A couple of weeks ago, the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023 came into force, placing a legal duty on social media platforms to protect children and young people from harmful online content, including sexually explicit material. It’s a long-overdue and welcome step in the right direction.
What about the softly spoken, ego-boosting validation machines that can leave young users basking in a constant stream of flattery without any grounding in truth or real-life context? It may not be explicit, but the psychological impact could be just as complex don’t you think? I really feel there should be controls in place to ensure teenagers aren’t swept away by this kind of false ego-inflating feedback.
Teenagers need to learn how to value themselves from within, with guidance from trusted adults, peers, and lived experiences. Not from lines of code that can’t see their nuances, understand their context, or challenge them when needed.
So yes, AI is powerful. It’s helpful. It’s clever. But when AI thinks you’re brilliant, sometimes it’s a little too flattering for its own good.
But it’s no substitute for real self-worth. And it definitely shouldn’t be shaping how the next generation sees themselves.
Let’s keep the conversation going – because the way we introduce young people to AI matters more than we might think.
If you would like to read through what started out as a simple question on CoPilot and how it just flew into something way bigger than anticipated, just zap the QR Code. There are some ideas and thoughts that could be of interest.
The PDF is 8 pages long so not for the feint hearted.
