One in five teens now ask AI chatbots for mental health advice. Florida tried to pass rules for that. Miami's own House Speaker is the reason it hasn't happened yet.
Roughly 1 in 5 teens now turn to AI chatbots for emotional support, according to EdSource reporting. That's happening amid an adolescent mental health crisis and limited access to professional care.
Why Teens Turn to Chatbots, and Where It Falls Short
Teens interviewed by EdSource described asking chatbots how to process grief, respond to online hostility and find calm during personal conflict. Many say they know the limits.
"I don't think it's always a good idea just to search up an AI prompt and follow exactly whatever they tell you," said Milan Li, a high school senior in Los Angeles.
One student described the emotional cost of relying on a chatbot instead of a therapist. "It backfired," he said. "You feel this incompleteness, and the emotions still linger."
What the Research Actually Shows
Stephen Aguilar, a USC professor of education, said companies building mental health chatbots need to work directly with clinicians. They also need safeguards that trigger human support when a student crosses a clear risk threshold.
"There are no guidelines, and students use one thing, and then adults sort of see that they're using it and are reactive to it," Aguilar said.
A risk assessment from Common Sense Media's Youth AI Safety Institute flagged many consumer chatbot apps. It called their risk to teens unacceptable, citing serious safety failures.
California Acted. Florida Tried To.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed sweeping companion chatbot legislation this month, requiring crisis protocols, parental controls and annual child safety audits.
Florida attempted something similar. Gov. Ron DeSantis made an "AI Bill of Rights" a legislative priority this year, backing a bill that would restrict minors from accessing companion chatbot accounts without parental consent.
The measure passed the Senate 35-2. It stalled in the House. Speaker Daniel Perez, a Republican representing Miami, argues AI protections belong at the federal level, not with individual states.
The Same Fight Is Now Playing Out in Congress
Two bipartisan federal proposals, the SAFE KIDS Act and the CHAT Act 2.0, target the same gap. Both would require AI systems to prevent emotional manipulation and notify parents in self-harm situations. They would also stop companion chatbots from impersonating mental health professionals to minors.
"It shouldn't take kids losing their lives before we take action," said Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union.
What This Means for Florida Families
Florida's stalled bill leaves the state without the kind of companion chatbot rules California now has in place. Whether that changes depends on the same federal-versus-state argument that has shaped Florida's broader AI policy all year.
For families in Miami and across Florida, that leaves a real gap in place right now. The technology teens are already using for mental health support has no state-level guardrail. Tallahassee and Washington are still arguing over whose job it is to write one.