Celeste Campos-Castillo, PhD

Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Information at Michigan State University

Dr. Celeste Campos‑Castillo will define artificial intelligence (AI) companions and discuss what we currently know about how young people are using AI companions and the benefits, risks, and best ways to keep young people safe. She will draw connections to trends in young people’s mental health and recent deaths by suicide among young people that have been linked to AI companion use. The presentation will be followed by 15 minutes of Q&A.

 

Celeste Campos‑Castillo, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Information at Michigan State University. She studies how digital technologies, from AI companions to social media, shape the health and well‑being of children and adolescents. She partners with young people to design the research she conducts and the resulting solutions. She is also a parent, which fuels her commitment to helping families, educators, and communities understand the rapidly changing digital world that young people are navigating. Her goal is to provide research that leads to practical, compassionate approaches that support young people.