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As student mental health challenges rise across Missouri, schools are turning to artificial intelligence tools to flag signs of distress in real time.

But the technology is raising new questions about how much it can actually help.

And because AI is creating some of the very problems it is now being deployed to solve, lawmakers are proposing restrictions that could limit young people’s access.

AI tools are being used in school districts around the country to examine student emails, documents and online activity for warning indicators of distress or self-harm. A 2024 study by the Center for Democracy and Technology found that 88% of teachers said their schools use some form of technology to track students’ online activity. These systems often look for key words and phrases linked to concerning behavior.

While these tools are designed to catch warning signs early, some are saying their effectiveness is inconsistent.

“Even 10 years ago, before we called it AI, we were using systems to scan student activity for keywords and warning signs,” said Perry Hilvitz, executive director of the Show-Me School-Based Health Alliance of Missouri.

“Sometimes we caught something serious, but most of the time, we were chasing false alarms instead of actually helping kids before things escalated,” Hilvitz said.

AI tools in schools

The growing use of AI comes as student mental health concerns continue to rise across the state.

According to the 2024 Missouri Student Survey conducted by the Missouri Department of Mental Health and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, more than half of Missouri students reported key symptoms of depression. About 56% said they felt sad, 59% reported changes in sleep and 62% said they struggled to concentrate in school.

More severe outcomes were also reported. About 21% of students said they had deliberately harmed themselves in a non-suicidal way, and 11% reported seriously considering suicide in the past year.

In Boone County, local data shows the issue is continuing to grow.

The percentage of students reporting they feel very sad has steadily increased over the past decade, reaching 30% in 2024, the most recent year of available data. The percentage of students reporting a suicide attempt in the past year has also risen to 12%.

Many schools are combating the problems by offering more training to teachers and staff and additional resources for students to help them cope.

Some schools are also embracing technology.

One of the tools schools are using is GoGuardian Beacon, a student activity monitoring system focused on identifying signs of mental health concerns and potential safety risks.

The tool scans for:

  • Suicide, self-harm and violence-related language
  • Web searches, web browsing including social media
  • Email and documents for signs of suicide, self-harm and violence
  • Contextual browsing history

The Cape Girardeau School District is using monitoring software that scans students’ written words on district computers and school-related accounts, including emails, messages and documents. It does not monitor personal devices or accounts that are not connected to classroom activity.

The idea is to capture moments when students express words associated with self-harm, suicide, depression or more.

Josh Crowell, assistant superintendent of support services for the district, said the alerts help staff know when a student may need help.

Crowell said students and families are informed that the monitoring software is being used through district technology agreements, even if the systems are not heavily publicized.

“As these programs run out and they are deployed out, families start picking up on them and, you know, people talk, it’s human nature, but it is not something that is put up on a big bulletin board,” Crowell said.

He said the software is meant to give staff another way to recognize when a student may need support.

“Probably what is the best part of that is, it’s the alert that it goes out to ‘trusted adults’ within the district, so that way we know if there is something going on, we know to get help with that student,” Crowell said.

The alerts can come at any time.

“Those alerts come in 24/7,” he said. “We have to do what’s right, so if we get an alert, we have to track it down.”

Crowell said responding to alerts can sometimes require staff to contact families outside of school hours.

“It may mean we are reaching out and doing a phone call at one in the morning or a home visit with our social workers on the weekend,” he said.

Crowell also said the technology allows the district to keep tabs on students without being intrusive and can possibly help students who may not feel comfortable directly asking for help.

“What we find with students that are in those crisis moments, they are looking for a hand up,” he said, “and if you are in their face, you will probably be met with withdrawal.”

Guarding youth from AI

As schools expand the use of AI, these tools are being developed at a time when many Missourians are already wondering if artificial intelligence is being regulated enough.

According to a 2025 national survey by the Civic Health and Institutions Project, 48% of Missouri respondents said the government should do more to oversee AI use, one of the highest rates in the country.

Concerns about how AI interacts with young people are also gaining attention in Congress. A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., would require AI companies to verify users’ ages and ban AI companion chatbots for minors.

The proposed “GUARD Act” would also require chatbots to regularly disclose that they are not human and would create criminal penalties for companies whose AI systems encourage suicide, self-harm or sexually explicit conduct involving minors.

“AI isn’t magic, it’s speed,” Hilvitz said. “It’s like going from a slow car to a really fast one. And most of the time, going faster just makes things less safe. AI can process information instantly, but who’s watching it? Who’s making sure the assumptions behind it are actually correct?”

Missing key signs of trouble

Mary Chant, CEO of the Missouri Coalition for Children, said schools should use caution when relying too much on AI tools.

“Just because something is AI doesn’t necessarily mean it’s accurate,” she said.

Chant also said AI tools can miss important warning signs that are more visible through everyday human interaction.

“The tool might catch a student who is not trying to hide, but it’s not going to replace noticing when a student suddenly stops talking like they usually do in class or acting like themselves,” she said.

Chant said artificial intelligence can still play a role in schools, but only when it is used alongside human judgment.

“Technology is a tool, but we can’t treat it like a solution,” she said. “We still need human awareness and real relationships.”

As schools continue investing in artificial intelligence systems, they are also navigating how those tools fit into broader support systems already in place.

Crowell said technology is only one part of what the Cape Girardeau district uses to try to keep students safe, and that it’s important to evolve with the times.

“Our success is measured in zeros,” he said, “so we know exactly if we have failed and that is if a student has harmed themselves or has been harmed by others.”