Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Dec. 9, 2025
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Many Young People Turn to Chatbots for Mental Health Support
About one in eight young people use AI chatbots for mental health advice, according to new RAND research. The study draws on the first nationally representative survey of how America's adolescents and young adults use AI tools when they're feeling sad, angry, or anxious.
Among the estimated 5.4 million young people who seek help from chatbots, more than 90 percent say the advice they receive is helpful. The appeal is clear: AI provides low-cost, immediate, and seemingly private support.
But this trend also raises red flags. For example, there are few standards for evaluating mental health advice from chatbots and little transparency about the data used to train the AI models behind them.
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The Students Who Disappear Before They Count
A new RAND study finds that many community college students drop out very early--after they apply but before enrollment is finalized. This early attrition isn't related to motivation or academics. Rather, students are frustrated by administrative obstacles, like confusing procedures, unclear instructions, and financial aid delays. The good news? Colleges can help by offering more hands-on support, simplifying communication, and making financial aid more transparent.
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China Is Worried About AI Job Losses
Widespread AI adoption could make it even harder for young and low-skilled workers in China to find jobs. How will Beijing respond to this threat? RAND's Marianne Lu says the government is showing signs that it will attempt to ease labor market disruptions even as it accelerates AI development. Unlike past leaders, she says, Chinese President Xi Jinping may be unwilling to trade away job security, benefits, and certain worker protections for rapid economic growth.
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** RAND Recommends
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- Most clicked last week: how a prisoner's dilemma could play out in the high-stakes race toward artificial general intelligence.
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- Our new initiative, the RAND Rural America Partnership, aims to help rural communities across the country build on their strengths, address their challenges, and thrive.
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- Post-doctoral students, tenure-track junior faculty, and doctoral students studying nuclear security can apply for the Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows Program. The deadline is December 15.
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