By Dan Russo
Editorial
About 72% of teens have used AI companions at least once, with 52% using them regularly, according to recent research from Common Sense Media. This non-profit organization, which aims to foster children’s well-being in the digital space, worked with Stanford University’s Brainstorm Lab for Mental Health to study the issue and “found it took very little prompting for chatbots to engage in harmful conversations with users posing as teens. In some cases, when a test user showed signs of mental distress or risky behavior, the bots did not intervene. Some even encouraged their behavior,” reported the American Psychological Association in October 2025.
Character.AI and Replika are just two of the AI programs used for relationships. They are designed to increase user engagement rather than promote well-being. Sister Nancy Usselmann, FSP, a Daughter of St. Paul, who is director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles, recently analyzed the rise of AI companions.
“The problem with artificial relationships with machines is that AI lacks a soul,” writes Sister Usselmann. “It may mimic human intelligence but it lacks the spiritual qualities needed to form relationships based on divine communion. It blurs reality offering lifeless images and soulless conversations that can lead to greater digital isolation. The antidote lies in human friendships that embody the virtues of faith, hope and love. The theological virtues form the foundational pillars of resilient companionship infusing human bonds with a transcendent purpose. Chatbot companionships, in comparison, superficially express what the user wants to hear, void of genuine care.”
To deepen friendship, the Sister suggests three actions based on the aforementioned virtues:
FAITH: Join prayer groups and attend events at the church. Praying together as friends centers the relationship in God.
HOPE: Seek out the sacraments during hardships and invite others to join you. Offer encouragement to seek life’s meaning in God.
LOVE: Practice active listening and forgiveness in daily life. Volunteer when feeling isolated or alone.
Person to person outreach is most essential to addressing the problem, but there are other ways. Lawsuits are being used to hold technology creators accountable for harming customers. Social media addiction and safety claims are being litigated nationwide. On March 24, the state of New Mexico won a $375 million verdict against Meta. A jury “found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangering children. With this verdict, New Mexico becomes the first state in the nation to prevail at trial against a major tech company for harming young people,” according to the New Mexico Department of Justice.
On March 25, a California jury found Meta and Google liable for the depression and anxiety of a woman who compulsively used social media as a child, awarding $6 million, according to an NPR report. Iowa’s Attorney General Brenna Bird is currently engaged in legal action against TikTok. If these litigation tactics can be applied successfully to social media companies, they could also be used against the creators of AI companions and may force positive changes.
However, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Adults must learn from society’s social media experience and apply it to the AI companion phenomenon. We can protect kids by setting digital boundaries and helping them foster healthy human bonds. “True friendship reflects the relationship of the Trinity which is irreplaceable by technology,” writes Sister Usselmann. “As Catholics, let’s prioritize embodied relationships by discerning our AI use, reaching out to others, and being witnesses of authentic friendship in Christ.”
Read Sister Usselmann’s full commentary “Why Authentic Friends Outshine AI Companions” at https://pauline.org/media-mindfulness
Dan Russo, editor
