Discussion Thread
Happy November!
Be sure to join us for November's AI Educator Brain webinar with Common Sense Education: AI Companions: Harmless Chatbot or Your Students' New Best Friend? November 17, 2026 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM EST
https://sharemylesson.com/webinars/ai-companions-harmless-chatbot-or-st…
Your students are talking to AI, and not just about homework. More than one in three kids who use AI have turned to it to talk about their feelings or personal problems, and more than four in 10 say no adult has ever talked with them about AI safety. So when a student mentions their AI "friend," or you overhear one, what do you say?
In this episode of the award-winning AI Educator Brain, Kelly Booz and Sari Beth Rosenberg, joined by Jennifer Ehehalt, Sr. Education Manager at Common Sense Education, take an honest look at AI companions and chatbots, and what they mean for the students in front of you. You'll leave with:
- A clear picture of what AI companions are, and why students are turning to them
- What we know, and don't yet know, about their effects on student mental health
- How AI "relationships" can shape students' friendships and expectations of real people
- Practical language for when a student brings it up: how to respond without shaming
For PreK–12 educators, support staff, and anyone who's AI-curious, AI-skeptical, or just trying to keep up with their students.
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