1. Do a Little Homework.
Step back and take a fresh look at your family dynamic. Has there been a major change at school or work? Today, you, your spouse, and your children have virtually unlimited online places they can go for resources, answers to difficult questions…and companionship. Although AI can be a valuable complement to human interaction, problems can arise when it becomes a replacement.

2. Discover What’s Missing.
According to a recent Brookings report, chatbots are increasingly being used for relationships for one overriding reason: loneliness. Rates of social isolation in the U.S.—especially among young people—are at record highs. Only 13% of U.S. adults now report having ten or more close friends, down from 33% in 1990.

3. Consider How to Solve the Problems You Discover.
In a recent article in The Atlantic, Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, noted that one technology-related rule he most regrets not enforcing with his children was a strict “no screens in the bedroom—ever.” Do all families need to go that far? It depends on what you discover and your ability or willingness to enforce change. From a legal perspective, Michigan courts evaluate parenting decisions through the lens of a child’s best interests, including emotional health, structure, and a parent’s judgment—not whether a particular technology is used, but how it is used.

4. Kids Aren’t the Only Ones Being Negatively Impacted by AI.
Michigan courts have not yet squarely addressed whether a spouse’s involvement with an AI companion has any legally relevant impact on a divorce. While Michigan is a no-fault divorce state, conduct may still be considered in certain contexts, such as property division or spousal support. Courts may increasingly be asked to consider what effect, if any, an AI-driven relationship has on the marital relationship or on the financial and emotional stability of the household.

Family courts are not concerned with technology itself, but with how behavior affects emotional well-being, family relationships, and, where children are involved, a child’s best interests. Questions may arise as to whether such behavior has meaningfully interfered with parenting time or parental involvement. Courts may also examine financial decisions influenced by AI use. For example, has one spouse made purchases they would historically have discussed with the other? Michigan courts may examine whether significant, unilateral financial decisions—regardless of whether AI was involved—were consistent with how spouses historically managed marital assets or whether one party unilaterally altered the parties’ financial status quo.

5. Look for Guidance from a Human You Can Trust.
AI is a new frontier and a rapidly evolving tool. Navigating the impact AI is having in the workplace is challenging enough for most people. What it can do to the family dynamic, however, may hit closer to home. Whether the issue involves family dynamics, child custody, an impending divorce, or another family law concern, scheduling an initial, no-obligation, fact-finding discussion to help individuals and families better understand what they can reasonably expect in terms of options, outcomes, process, and cost is the sensible thing to do.