OpenAI Foundation backs youth mental health research into AI chatbot use
The Child Mind Institute will combine clinical assessments, digital journals and de-identified chat histories to develop markers for evaluating young people’s mental states.
The Child Mind Institute has begun a one-year research initiative, supported by a grant from the OpenAI Foundation, to examine youth mental health during interactions with AI chatbots in the United States.
Rather than testing a particular chatbot or presenting evidence about its effects, the project will build the research infrastructure needed to measure young people’s mental states while they use conversational AI and over time. The aim is to identify valid markers that could inform the design and testing of safer AI systems for children.
Researchers plan to combine clinical assessments, digital journals, de-identified AI chat histories, real-time behavioral measures and existing youth mental health datasets. The initial phase will identify signals that could be used to assess and monitor mental health alongside young people’s use of AI tools.
The institute says young people are turning to general-purpose chatbots, digital companions and products described as “therapy bots” for support amid a shortage of qualified mental health professionals, stigma and misinformation.
The initiative is designed to close an evidence gap around tools that young people are already using, without treating AI chatbots as a substitute for professional support. Harold S. Koplewicz, President and Medical Director at the Child Mind Institute, places trained clinicians, research and safeguards at the center of any future role for the technology.
“It is our belief that with appropriate safeguards and evidence, digital tools may complement care from trained clinicians,” Koplewicz says. “We are excited about filling a gap that currently exists in the research of AI tools and to work toward creating a safer online experience for youth around the globe.”
Independent research with privacy protections
The Child Mind Institute will develop and conduct the research independently. The OpenAI Foundation is providing financial support, but the initiative will be solely executed by the institute.
The project will be co-designed by Principal Investigators Gregory Kiar, Arno Klein and Michael P. Milham, Chief Science Officer at the Child Mind Institute. Their combined areas of expertise include computational methods, digital measurement, clinical science and youth mental health.
Milham says the research will consider both the risks associated with AI use and the conditions under which conversational tools could support existing mental health services.
“It is critical to better understand the relationship between AI use and youth mental health, and to examine whether, and under what conditions, AI tools can strengthen evidence-based care, support clinician training, and expand access to high-quality mental health services,” he explains.
The institute says the study will use informed consent, ethical oversight, privacy protections and data governance measures to protect participants. AI chat histories used by researchers will be de-identified.
The Child Mind Institute also plans to share data from the project to support further research.
