Hallucinations in Children vs. AI: A Comparative Analysis

This comparative analysis examines hallucinations in children and artificial intelligence. Drawing on recent clinical and AI research, it quantifies the prevalence of psychotic‑like experiences in youth (often benign and transient) and contrasts them with the confabulation errors produced by large language models when they guess. It explores underlying neurodevelopmental, cognitive and algorithmic causes, reality‑monitoring and calibration mechanisms in both domains, and the implications for child mental health, AI safety, education and healthcare. The report concludes with recommendations to improve AI alignment and support children experiencing hallucinations.