November 2025

Gen(Z)AI | Forum Report: AI & Chatbots

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Overview

"Young Canadians really care about the future of AI, and they desperately want change. This was made clear during our first Youth Forum on AI Chatbots.

This generation is uniquely positioned to provide perspectives informed by their lived experiences, and they must be centred in the policymaking process.

This Youth Forum was just the beginning, and I am excited to see this important work continue!"

Madeleine Case

Report Author and Lead Youth Fellow, Gen(Z)AI Forum on AI Chatbots

Key Findings

  • Over reliance on AI chatbots can lead to emotional dependence that exacerbates social isolation / atomization and contributes to mental health issues.

  • Widespread use of AI chatbots risks cognitive offloading and loss of critical thinking skills among users, jeopardizing the ability to learn, work, and engage in civic discourse.

  • AI chatbots increase users’ potential exposure to harmful content, including sexually explicit, extremist, and/or self-harm content.

Executive Summary

Gen(Z)AI is a first of its kind Youth Assembly on AI, bringing 100 young Canadians aged 17-23 together to help shape the future of AI in Canada. This project is jointly led by the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy and the Dialogue on Technology Project, in partnership with Mila, Quebec’s AI Institute. 

This report provides an introduction to the Gen(Z)AI project, its purpose, the methodologies used, and the key issues, findings, and recommendations from the first forum on AI chatbots. A full report will be released in May 2026 following the completion of all four forums. 

Gen(Z)AI Forum #1: AI Chatbots 

The first of four forums was held on AI chatbots, the most widely used, particularly among young Canadians, and fastest evolving AI technology. This year, 73% of young adults report having used AI for school or work, up from 59% in 2024. This increase in use goes beyond academia and the workplace - 72% of teens have reported using AI for personal companionship, with over half being regular users. 

Young people tend to be more trusting of AI technologies, but remain skeptical, specifically of its impacts on critical thinking. Why does this matter? AI chatbots have the potential to expose users to harm, particularly vulnerable populations including children and youth. Risks can include exposure to harmful content and mis- and dis-information, amplification of dangerous biases, the undermining of mental and physical well-being, and erosion of critical thinking skills, with additional compounding concerns about data privacy and transparency. 

Canada is at an inflection point: choices about its AI policy made now can position Canada as a either a laggard or global leader in responsible AI governance. As the generation that will inherit a future influenced by AI, young people’s voices, insights, lived experiences, and values must be included in shaping it. 

Gen(Z)AI’s first forum brought together participants through expert briefings, interactive workshops and deliberative policymaking sessions. The result was a strong consensus: young Canadians are dissatisfied with the status quo and believe that AI chatbots need to be regulated. 

Preliminary Recommendations

  • This includes implementing policy tools that can provide resources and recourse when issues or harms occur.

  • These policy tools seek to address issues identified within the design of AI systems. They would address problematic design features before issues occur.

  • These recommendations would support agency-building and empowerment for users, as well as increased transparency on the part of government and technology companies. 

Report Author: Madeleine Case

Project Leads: Helen Hayes, Fergus Linley-Mota

Contributors, Maddie Freeman, Julian Lam, Alexander Martin, Nonso Morah, Ava Smithing

Operations Lead: Sequoia Kim

Designers: Ibrahim Rayintakath, Mathilde Robert

Layout Editor: Emma Frattasio

Special Thanks: Anna Jahn, Taylor Owen

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