“The sycophantic nature of chatbots is just playing right into those brain vulnerabilities for kids where they desperately want that dopamine, validating, reinforcing kind of relationship, and AI chatbots do that all too well,” says Dr. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of psychology and neuroscience. According to a study by Common Sense Media, 72% of teens say they’ve interacted with an AI chatbot, and about half consider themselves regular users. Character AI declined 60 Minutes’ interview request.