Initial Testing of The College Parent Guide: An Artificial Intelligence Chatbot to Support Parents in Preventing College Student Drinking and Reducing Related Risks

Objective: Parent-Based Interventions (PBIs) support parent–student conversations about alcohol. To increase PBI accessibility, we developed The College Parent Guide (CPG), an AI-driven chatbot providing research-based guidance on student drinking, parent communication, and risk reduction. This study evaluated expert perceptions of CPG. Method: Seventeen PhD-level experts specializing in alcohol/substance use, parenting, and/or adolescent/emerging adult health, completed an online survey and input four preselected prompts to CPG. Responses were assessed on whether they would have provided a similar response, accuracy, clarity, appropriateness, and potential benefit or harm. Participants provided overall impressions of CPG’s performance and indicated whether modifications were needed. Results: Sixteen experts agreed CPG would provide reliable and safe information to parents of college students. Two participants believed one response could be harmful. One participant identified multiple concerning responses. Fourteen experts recommended CPG could be supplemental to PBIs with minor updates. Two suggested no updates, while one suggested major revisions. Conclusions: CPG appears to be a promising, scalable tool that may provide parents with reliable guidance on college student drinking. Before CPG is used in a PBI, further research is required to identify how parents engage with CPG, evaluate its effectiveness, and ensure its guidance supports safe and constructive parent–student communication.