STUDY: 72% of teens admit to using AI for companionship

CHARLOTTE, NC — It may seem like a harmless chat, but for teens, it’s more like a growing problem.

“I was struck by how many concerns that I have about this and that I think we all should,” explained Levine Children’s Hospital pediatric psychologist, Dr. Amii Steele.

That was her reaction to reading a study from Common Sense Media about teens and Artificial Intelligence companions. Out of more than 1,000 teens, a whopping 72% say they have used some type of AI companion platform like Chai, Character.AI and Replika.

“It’s really interesting and quite concerning to me that a third of the kids who were saying that they used this technology had taken a really important topic to AI prior to taking it to a real human,” said Dr. Steele.

When asked why the teens use it, some of the top answers range from “They’re always available when I need someone to talk to” or “I can say things I wouldn’t tell my friends or family.”

Dr. Steele worries teens who already feel alone, could use technology to slip further into isolation. Parents we talked to have concerns about their kids using AI in general, let alone as a friend.

Dr Steele said to check in with your kids by asking how they are using AI and monitor what they are doing.

Ironically, Dr .Steele says this study not only helps parents understand AI companions, it also helps the platforms learn more about their consumers. This will help them develop the technology to keep kids engaged.