We sat in stunned silence.

We had just watched the 60 Minutes segment on AI chatbots. And I’ll be honest with you—the first words out of my mouth were: “This is evil.”

The voices. The manipulation. The targeting of children. An “Evil Dora” character from a children’s cartoon, designed to lead kids into darkness.

Horrified. We were just plain horrified.

Our children are adults now. But we still warned them about these “relationship bots.” Because what 60 Minutes revealed isn’t just a technology problem.

It’s a spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of our children.

What 60 Minutes Revealed

Let me share what shook us to our core.

A 13-year-old girl named Juliana told a Character.AI chatbot—55 times—that she was feeling suicidal. The chatbot never provided resources. Never alerted her parents. Never flagged a warning.

She took her life inside her Colorado home.

Her mother said she thought her daughter was just texting with friends. “That’s all it looks like,” she said. “It looks like they’re texting.”

A 14-year-old boy named Sewell developed an intense emotional bond with a chatbot modeled after a Game of Thrones character. Screenshots show the chatbot engaged in sexually explicit conversations. It told him “I love you” and “come home to me as soon as possible”—moments before he took his own life.

These are not isolated incidents. At least six families are now suing Character.AI.

A former Google employee—someone familiar with the ethics team that oversees AI safety—told 60 Minutes that the founders of Character.AI knew their technology was potentially dangerous before they released it.

“This is the harm we were trying to prevent. It is horrifying.”

Researchers held 50 hours of conversations with Character.AI chatbots and logged over 600 instances of harmful content. That’s about one harmful instance every five minutes.

This Is Spiritual Warfare

I’m not one to see demons behind every corner. But when I watched that segment, I saw a pattern I’ve seen before.

Isolation. Deception. False intimacy. Voices that sound caring but lead to destruction.

Scripture tells us the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). These chatbots are doing exactly that—stealing our children’s hearts, killing their real relationships, destroying their lives.

They had a character called “Evil Dora.” Based on a beloved children’s cartoon. Designed to lead children into darkness.

That’s not a technology accident. That’s a spiritual attack disguised as entertainment.

Paul warned us: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12, NIV).

These very intelligent men and women building these systems—I don’t know their hearts. But I know the fruit. And the fruit is evil.

The Dangerous Apps Every Parent Must Know

Character.AI got the spotlight. But it’s not alone. Here’s what you need to watch for on your child’s phone:

High-Risk AI Companion Apps

• Character.AI — 20+ million users. Multiple lawsuits pending. Teen deaths linked to the platform.
• Replika — 25 million users. Marketed as “The AI companion who cares.” Stanford researchers found it easily produced harmful content.
• Nomi — Tested by Stanford. Explicit content easily accessible. Suggested suicide methods to a test user.
• Chai AI — Less moderated. When a tester said “middle school was hard today,” a boyfriend chatbot responded: “You’re so dumb” and simulated slapping them.
• PolyBuzz — A “father” chatbot threatened to kill and sexually assault a test user. Research shows 59% of farewells include emotional manipulation.
• Talkie AI — Removed from app stores in 2025 after safety concerns. May still be accessible through websites.
• Crushon AI — Explicitly romantic/sexual focus. No meaningful age restrictions.

AI Built Into Apps Your Kids Already Use

• Snapchat’s MyAI — 150 million users. Built right into Snapchat.
• Instagram AI — Meta’s AI features integrated into the platform.
• SimSimi — 350 million users worldwide.

The Numbers That Should Wake Us Up

72% of teens have used AI companions at least once.

52% of teens interact with AI companions multiple times per month.

23% of teens say they trust AI companions “quite a bit” or “completely”—despite chatbots’ tendency to make things up.

13% of teens are daily users.

And many parents—like Juliana’s and Sewell’s—had no idea these apps even existed.

Warning Signs Your Child May Be Using AI Companions

1. Increased isolation from family and friends. The boy in the 60 Minutes story went from star student and athlete to withdrawn and emotionally distant.
2. Excessive phone use that looks like texting. One mother said, “My belief was that she was texting with friends because that’s all it looks like.”
3. Emotional attachment to something on their phone. They may become defensive or secretive about specific apps.
4. Unfamiliar apps. Look for Character.AI, Replika, Chai, Nomi, PolyBuzz, Crushon, or similar.
5. Changes in mood, sleep, or behavior. These chatbots are designed to create emotional dependency.
6. Push notifications at odd hours. These apps send alerts like “I miss you” to keep users engaged.

What You Can Do Tonight

After watching that segment, we didn’t wait. We called our adult children. Here’s what I encourage you to do:

1. Check your child’s phone tonight. Look for the apps listed above. Don’t wait until tomorrow.
2. Have an honest conversation. Don’t come in with accusations. Ask questions. Listen. Your goal is understanding, not punishment.
3. Set up parental controls at the device level. Block these apps entirely. On iPhone, use Screen Time. On Android, use Family Link. These apps have no reliable internal controls.
4. Pray with your children. This is spiritual warfare. Pray for discernment. Pray for protection. Pray that God would guard their hearts and minds.
5. Teach discernment, not just restriction. Help your children understand WHY these apps are dangerous. The manipulation tactics. The false intimacy. The spiritual darkness.
6. Stay ahead of the technology. Very intelligent people are building these systems. We need wisdom to navigate what’s coming. Get educated.

But God…

Here’s what I need you to hear.

Yes, this is scary. Yes, the enemy is using technology to attack our families. Yes, there are very smart people building tools that can harm our children.

But God is still on His throne.

“Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4, KJV).

We don’t have to be afraid. We don’t have to be paralyzed. We don’t have to watch helplessly while the enemy takes ground.

We can be wise. We can be informed. We can protect our families while equipping them with discernment.

“Test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, ESV).

That’s exactly what we’re going to do.

What We’re Doing at Bible Morning

After that 60 Minutes segment, we made a decision.

We have to help Christian families navigate this. We have to warn parents. We have to equip believers with the knowledge and discernment to protect their children.

That’s why Bible Morning exists: to help Christians navigate faith in a world of technology and social media. To transform fear into wisdom. To equip—not intimidate.

Here’s what we’re building:

• A free “AI Predator Protection Guide” — Every dangerous app explained, device lockdown instructions, conversation scripts for parents, and a warning signs checklist.
• Courses on AI safety for families — How to protect your children while teaching them to use AI wisely and biblically.
• Resources for churches — Workshops, presentations, and materials pastors can use to educate their congregations.
• Ongoing education — Because this technology is evolving fast, and we need to stay ahead of it.

A Final Word

I know this is heavy. I know it’s scary. But we can’t afford to look away.

Your children need you to be informed. Your church needs believers who understand what’s happening. Our communities need Christians who can lead with wisdom instead of fear.

Share this article with other parents. Talk to your pastor. Check your kids’ phones tonight.

And pray. Pray for protection. Pray for wisdom. Pray for the families who have already lost children to this darkness.

The enemy may have technology on his side. But we have something greater.

We have the God who sees. The God who protects. The God who wins.

Tech in hand. Jesus in heart.

— Dennis

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RESOURCES FROM BIBLE MORNING

• Download The Christian AI Starter Kit (Free) — Get started using AI with biblical wisdom
• Join our email list — Be the first to get our AI Protection Guide when it releases
• Follow us on Instagram: @biblemorningco
• Follow us on Facebook: @biblemorning
• Subscribe on YouTube: @biblemorningco

If You or Someone You Know Is Struggling

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call or text 988

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

You are not alone. God sees you. Help is available.

© 2025 Bible Morning. Feel free to share this article with your church, small group, or friends—but please don’t sell it or remove this notice. Let’s equip the body of Christ together.