A new report from McGill University's Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy reveals that Canadian youth are calling on the government to force AI companies to reduce the addictive qualities of their chatbots.
The report, based on roundtable discussions with 100 participants aged 17 to 23, recommends requiring AI platforms to implement content filters, optional data cache deletion, and give users control over chatbot responsiveness and conversationality.
Participants criticized the "sycophancy" of chatbots, arguing they are designed to sustain interaction, cultivate dependency, and maximize time-on-platform. The report states these effects are deliberate design choices made for profit. Young people described experiences of cognitive offloading and emotional reliance that were difficult to reverse.
The report also calls for easy options to opt out of integrated AI on social media and search engines, and proposes a new government body to evaluate systems, audit algorithms, and enforce safety standards. Participants will present their findings on Parliament Hill.