Finding a Silent Support System in AI
By Dr. Annabel Howell and Laura Dale Harris
We are witnessing a societal shift in how people seek connection and information. With the rapid proliferation of Large Language Models (LLMs), hundreds of millions of people globally are now turning to ‘chatbots’ for everything from medical questions to advice on loneliness and spiritual guidance. The evidence is clear: this technology is no longer a futuristic concept; it is deeply integrated into daily life and is even central to how individuals navigate health and well-being.
At Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) and Global Treehouse, we believe this reality has profound implications for the families we serve - including families who are supporting children with serious illnesses, death or bereavement. Given the sheer scale of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in the wider world, we should accept that parents and families caring for seriously ill children are already turning to these tools for support. Yet this usage often remains invisible—a silent interaction occurring in the quiet, isolated hours of caregiving. To truly support these families, we should bring this conversation out of the shadows.
The Reality of Care and the Appeal of "On-Demand" Support
Caring for a child with a life-limiting condition places families under immense, multifaceted strain. Research consistently shows these families experience profound social isolation, financial hardship and physical exhaustion from the demands of 24/7 care. In moments of acute stress, including in the middle of the night when some professional services are offline, the "always-on" nature of AI offers a compelling resource. While burdened providers strive to dedicate time to answer questions and address concerns, they can be limited in how much time they can spend with each patient and their caregivers. AI might also offer non-judgmental connections. While parents might be reluctant to share some things with clinicians in case it brings additional concerns, AI is perceived as a safe space.
In conversations with parents and caregivers, we repeatedly hear that moments which clinicians may view as routine— such as a feeding tube coming loose or a sudden change in symptoms — can feel like a crisis when families are alone at home. In those moments, the instinct to reach for an immediate source of guidance is not simply technological curiosity; it reflects a deeper gap in real-time support for families caring for seriously ill children.
Whether it is a parent asking a chatbot to translate complex medical terminology, seeking reassurance during a frightening moment at home, or simply looking for a space to express grief, these digital interactions are likely filling a critical gap. We know patients already use these tools to validate symptoms or simply feel heard when the healthcare system feels fragmented or overwhelming.
Moving Beyond Stigma to Honest Dialogue
The technology is already here. The risk we face now is not that families will use AI, but that they will feel they must do so in secret. Because these tools are unregulated and prone to errors or "hallucinations," relying on them can carry risks. However, if families feel stigmatized or embarrassed to admit they are consulting a chatbot, healthcare providers miss the opportunity to offer guidance, correct misinformation or simply understand the true landscape of a family's support network.
We need to foster a culture where parents feel safe saying, "I asked an AI about this symptom," or "I used a chatbot to help me write this email to my doctor." We also want to acknowledge the deeper uses of chatbots that are increasingly documented: companionship, reflection and even spiritual questioning during periods of profound uncertainty. By normalising these conversations, we can more fully provide families with alongside and in-depth support to meet these vulnerable times of a seriously ill child receiving treatment, a child facing death or a family dealing with grief.
We can help families distinguish between helpful administrative uses, such as summarising medical notes, and potentially unreliable guidance on AI for clinical decisions. As providers and field leaders, we also want to consider how in-person counselling, grief and other support can be made aware that it may be alongside chatbots — and where it can offer something more in-depth.
A Call to Understand and Support
Our primary goal with healthcare leadership must be to reduce the stigma surrounding these digital support systems so we can have honest conversations. We are calling on the wider palliative care community, technologists and families to join us in sharing this understanding. We need to listen to parents to learn how they are using these tools — validating the innovative ways they solve problems while identifying where they need stronger safeguards, including:
Ensuring families have access to safe, accurate information
Asking families to consider the sources—and the potential pitfalls
Supporting families with access to this technology to be open
Ensuring families without AI have access to great information
We’re issuing a call to join alongside technology companies, researchers and advocates to better understand how families have access to domain-specific tools that are better equipped to hallucinate less and offer better, more accurate support. This is an invitation for us all to look clearly at the support families are already choosing. By building a shared understanding of how AI functions as a silent companion, we can better equip providers to walk alongside families, ensuring technology serves as a bridge to human-centred, democratic care that empowers families and trusted clinical support rather than a barrier.