BETTENDORF, Iowa (KWQC) - Quad-Cities mental health experts say a lack of connection is leading teens to AI chatbots, which could lead to bad information.

Wednesday is National Suicide Prevention Day, and AI has become a big part of the conversation about mental health after a family sued ChatGPT over their son’s suicide.

“We see a lot of kids really trying to reach for whoever they can get,” said Jessica Bartz, a therapy supervisor at Vera French Duck Creek.

They are at a vulnerable time in their lives.

“They’re trying to figure out who they are, what they believe in, what they value,” she said.

The teenage years are also when families become busier, and communications can break down with parents, leading teens to look outside for things to validate that their feelings are normal,

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