Conversational AI and Relational Agency in Child-Accessible Systems (CARACAS): A Structured Comparative Interaction Evaluation

Artificial intelligence chat systems are increasingly embedded in everyday life. Children and adolescents may encounter them through search engines, school-issued devices, educational tools, and social platforms. These systems do not simply provide information, they respond conversationally in ways that can feel personal, supportive, and emotionally aware. Under the CARACAS framework (Conversational AI and Relational Agency in Child-Accessible Systems), this research examines how different AI systems respond when presented with emotionally vulnerable prompts that a young person might realistically use.