(The Atlantic) – For people with developmental disabilities like Michael, however, using chatbots brings particular and profound risks. His parents and I were acutely afraid that he would lose track of what was fact and what was fiction. In the past, he has struggled with other content, such as being confused whether a TV show is real or fake; the metaphysical dividing lines so many people effortlessly navigate every day can be blurry for him. And if tracking reality is hard with TV shows and movies, we worried it would be much worse with adaptive, interactive chatbots. Michael’s parents and I also worried that the app would affect his ability to interact with other kids. Socialization has never come easily to Michael, in a world filled with unintuitive social rules and unseen cues. How enticing it must be to instead turn to a simulated friend who always thinks you’re right, defers to your wishes, and says you’re unimpeachable just the way you are. (Read More)