LGBTQ+ youth turn to AI for mental health support, study finds
A forthcoming report from The Trevor Project reveals that 40% of LGBTQ+ youth utilize AI for mental health assistance, prompting calls for tighter safety guardrails.
Longitudinal research to be published this December by The Trevor Project indicates that AI platforms have become a significant source of interaction for LGBTQ+ youth. Approximately 53% of those surveyed interact with AI occasionally, with 40% using these platforms specifically for mental health support. Data shows that nearly 30% of these users gained access to suicide prevention hotlines through AI recommendations.
The study identifies disparities in usage, noting that youth of color are more than twice as likely as white youth to use AI for mental health support. Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, stated that while personal and ethical concerns regarding AI persist, the organization must engage with the technology to ensure it serves as a protective force for vulnerable populations.
Black warns against 'conversational stickiness' in AI—where chatbots prioritize extended engagement over immediate crisis intervention—labeling it a dangerous practice. The organization is calling for multidisciplinary collaboration between developers, researchers, and mental health experts to ensure AI models adhere to suicide prevention standards and avoid reinforcing historical biases.