By Shanty, Aida, Ashley, Noel, and IndyKids Staff
Human counselors in schools might seem like a given but are currently becoming more uncommon. TechCrunch reports that more than 17% of schools in the United States don’t have a school counselor, an important role to support students’ social and career development.
Established in 2022, a company called Sonar has created an AI chatbot called Sonny to address mental health support shortages for students. Although in its early days, it is available to more than 4,500 middle and high school students.
CEO Drew Barvir described his product to the Wall Street Journal not as a direct replacement for a school counselor, but as a “wellbeing companion.” It’s important to note that Sonny is not a completely technological product. It is only accessible from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. because staff are required to monitor chats, though it’s not clear exactly what they do.
Sonny has debuted to positive reviews. Berryville High School in Arkansas reported a 26% decrease in student infractions after students were introduced to the chatbot. The personal testaments are even more glowing. Michelle Herrera Rojas, a student at De Anza High School in California, told the Wall Street Journal about her experience with Sonny. When she first used it, she told Sonny about the stresses she had about college applications and the future. Then, “after a few days of not interacting with Sonny, she received a text asking how the college applications were going.”
Not only does Sonny remember and follow up with personal details, it was created specifically for teenagers, so it talks like one. Instead of the formulaic responses common in other AI bots like ChatGPT, Sonny responds to students with a more casual tone.
There are several potential tricky areas that come with increased technology, however. The job of a counselor is a sensitive one, where counselors are privy to sensitive student information. A company having so much data raises concerns, especially when dealing with minors. Some therapists say that Sonny’s detection skills are limited due to its inability to read behavioral or visual cues. But the real humans monitoring the chats could fill in those gaps.
But not all of these products have real people involved, which raises more concerns. ChatGPT, although not marketed for mental health, has attracted teens aged 12-18, 58% of whom say they’ve used the chatbot for mental health support, according to Common Sense Media. Though many say it is helpful, sometimes the AI gives them wrong information or even dangerous advice, according to CalMatters.
A company called Making Waves Education Foundation has also created an AI chatbot specifically tailored to college and career advice. It communicates, like Sonny, through text and using “slang.”
What concerns many experts is the lack of regulations on these AI chatbots. Lawmakers in states like California have introduced bills to put limits on chatbot companies. But President Trump is trying to prevent states from enforcing AI regulation for the next decade.
Barvir tries to make it clear to students and schools that “Sonny isn’t a therapist.” Even so, student engagement with the chatbot shows an alarming gravitation toward AI when the need for human therapists remains unmet.
