"There's a really good chance that a young person's parents—or even their friends—don't even know that this individual is building a relationship with these chatbots. And that's where the danger exists." Tech expert Amber Mac is on the advisory board of Rally , a new tech festival in Toronto dedicated to digital wellness for teens. She desperately wants parents to know the reasons why their kids are talking to AI, and the dangers of manipulative chatbots pretending to be their friends. -- The BetaKit Podcast is presented by K-GLOBE 2025: Be part of the global innovation exchange. Meet 18 of Korea's top startups in AI, Deep Tech, Smart City, and ESS as they land in Toronto for K-GLOBE 2025. Featured at the Elevate Festival and an exclusive investor showcase, this is your chance to connect with the next wave of world-changing companies. Learn more and register today at thewaycompany.ca . -- Related Links: AI companion apps are incredibly effective emotional manipulators Report: one-third of US teens have used AI companions for emotional and mental health support More Ontario school boards file suits against social media giants Parents of teenager who took his own life sue OpenAI Meta is struggling to rein in its AI chatbots OpenAI announces parental controls for ChatGPT
