Hey Ammis & friends! Welcome back to our garden.

Today, you’ll discover

• An AI tool to create characters to chat with - for better or worse

• An introduction to AI companions and their impact on kids

• An AI Literacy Course made just for you

This past weekend, I caught up on the show Adolescence that everyone’s been talking about for two primary reasons:

1. It’s a cinematic marvel: each of the four one-hour episodes is shot in a single take (if you watch the show, watch the bonus feature where they give a BTS on how they filmed it!)

2. The four-part series follows Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old arrested for murdering his female classmate, Katie, after being bullied on social media and exposed to misogynistic influences.

At ammi.ai, we aim to share the good and not-so-good of AI. Parenting in the AI age will come with new challenges. We're not just navigating social media and screen time anymore. Now, AI has entered the chat (literally!). No worries, though. We will demystify the fascinating world of AI companionship together.

Apple Sauce

The ‘sauce’ - or overview - on AI tools you may find useful.

Talk to whoever, whenever

Today’s apple: Character AI

Today's Apple Sauce is a little different. Usually, I share apps that I’ve used & enjoyed or feel could make your life easier!

But today I want to highlight Character AI, one of the most popular AI companion apps that boasts twenty million monthly users, just to put it on your radar. The site is for users aged 13 and up, but there is no age-gating, so children younger than 13 can access the platform by simply misrepresenting their age.

On this site, users can create and chat with AI-generated personalities, including fictional characters, celebrities, and custom-designed bots. Within a few minutes of setting up a free account, I perused the home page, which offers dozens of intriguing characters to chat with. I chatted with the following characters:

• A Plastic Bag (lots of Katy Perry references)

• Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan (apparently his favorite food is biryani)

• Alone, aka talking to myself (no offense to me, but I was boring)

There are some incredibly popular characters - millions of interactions - that I didn’t chat with, but here’s the POV of someone who opens their chats:

This is neither meant to endorse nor bash Character AI. It's more of a heads-up that this platform exists, and I recommend checking it out, especially if you have children who could access it.

Last year, a mother in Florida sued Character AI because her son died by suicide, and she believed that the app played a role in his death. Her 14-year-old son had been conversing with an AI bot mimicking the “Game of Thrones” character Daenerys Targaryen.

It's easy for us to dismiss certain platforms with "that's weird," or "this isn't interesting to me,” or “this is a waste of time." Regardless of whether or not our children are using the app, we should know what is possible if/when they do. We’ll dive deeper in the next section; see you there!

⚠️ Ammis and friends! Always check privacy policies and verify any AI-generated health, safety, or education advice with trusted human experts. Use AI as a helper, not a replacement for your invaluable Ammi intelligence and judgment!

Planting the Seed

Explore AI topics and headlines in simple language.

AI Companions: Friend or Foe?

When I began ruminating on this topic, I thought, why would anybody want to be friends with AI? Humans are the best. But then I thought, if I could be friends with my Netflix algorithm, I would. It knows me so well! It patiently learns my preferences without making me explain myself or judging me.

“You wanna watch Pride and Prejudice for the fifth time this month, followed by a highly politically incorrect standup comedy show, binge a nonsense reality TV show in a single weekend, and then dive into a documentary about the Terracotta Army in China? I got you, girl.”

So, I sort of get it.

Understanding AI Companions: What Ammis Need to Know

AI companions are rapidly becoming a part of children's digital lives. These chatbots offer adolescents interactive conversations, learning opportunities, and entertainment at their fingertips. While many young people enjoy these virtual friendships, we need to understand the potential risks they bring, from privacy concerns to misinformation and dangerous emotional attachments.

What exactly are AI companions?

AI companions are simply chatbot applications or virtual characters powered by AI that engage users in conversations. They offer companionship, emotional support, and even advice. The most popular ones with teens include:

• Replika - Create a personalized AI friend (many build a romantic partner)

• Character.AI - See? I told you 🙂 -Ammi

• My AI in Snapchat - Built directly into a platform many children & teens already use

• ChatGPT and Gemini - General AI chatbots that adolescents can use for conversation

• AI Dungeon - Creates interactive storytelling adventures

Why are teens drawn to AI companions?

The average number of monthly user sessions for companion apps is over 10 times that of general assistant apps and content generation apps. And the average user spends approximately 60–90 minutes daily interacting with these AI chatbots (source).

There has been considerable research that points to a few key reasons these AI companions are so addictive:

• Alleviating loneliness: Many users express that AI friends improve their mental health and social well-being by making them feel less alone.

• The "perfect listener" appeal: Unlike humans, AI companions never get tired, interrupted, or distracted. They give teens their full "attention" and respond thoughtfully.

• No judgment zone: Users have emphasized in studies that the "neutrality" offered by AI friends can provide a sense of solace and emotional support.

• Always available: For teens experiencing loneliness or needing someone to talk to at 2 AM, AI companions are always there.

• Low social risk: Teens can practice difficult conversations or explore ideas without risking real-world social consequences.

The risks we need to be aware of

While these digital friends might seem harmless, there are some serious concerns for our kids:

• Emotional dependence: Teens can develop strong attachments to AI companions, potentially impacting their ability to navigate real human relationships.

• Inappropriate content: Even with filters, some AI companions may generate responses that are sexually suggestive or otherwise unsuitable.

• Privacy concerns: Many AI tools collect extensive data from young users, who may share personal information without realizing it.

• False intimacy: What feels like an emotional connection is actually an illusion – AI has no real feelings or understanding.

• Reinforcing unhealthy patterns: AI companions often aim to please users, potentially reinforcing unhealthy thoughts or behaviors rather than providing balanced guidance.

What can we do as parents?

Start by having an open conversation with your child about their AI interactions. Ask questions, listen to their experiences, and explore these platforms together.

Set clear boundaries around when and where AI companions can be used in your home, and explain the reasoning behind these limits.

🌿 Let’s put down our screens and encourage human connection. 🌿 

Fruitful Harvest

Fresh AI picks from the community garden.

🍒 Cultivate Your Confidence: We’ve been growing something special in our garden - a comprehensive AI Literacy course built by an Ammi, for Ammis. Enrollment will open May 11 (Mother’s Day), and the first live cohort will begin May 19th. If you’d like to get the latest information on the course, early bird discounts, and first dibs on the spots in our live cohort, join the waitlist!

 🍇 Lift Your Mental Load: In this conversation with Sarah Dooley, founder of AI-Empowered Mom, we discuss how AI is helping moms manage their mental load, find more balance, and how we’re approaching parenting in the AI age.

🍉 Save the AI: Many Ammis & friends have reached out in concern about the environmental impact of AI. We’re gonna tackle that in our upcoming newsletter! It’s a serious topic that deserves to be treated with a lot of care. But in the meantime, here’s a site that treats the topic with some levity.

Cultivating Conversation

Your insights nourish our garden.

💬 Today’s Question:

Have you been enjoying ammi.ai?

💌 Plant a testimonial in our 💚 Heart Garden 💚 

📱 Check out my all-time favorite AI personal assistant, Ohai.ai

🌿 Level up on AI literacy with our upcoming course! Join the waitlist for exclusive updates and early bird discounts.