A recent investigation conducted by Common Sense Media, a prominent nonprofit focusing on the welfare of young individuals and their families, has brought to light a significant trend: approximately 72% of American teenagers have, at some point, interacted with an AI companion. This figure specifically refers to AI chatbots designed for personal conversations, distinguishing them from AI tools used for homework assistance, image generation, or simple question-answering. The study's definition includes platforms like Character.AI and Replika, as well as general-purpose chatbots such as ChatGPT or Claude when used for more intimate dialogues. The widespread adoption among 13 to 17-year-olds is notable, with 52% categorizing themselves as regular users. Among these frequent interactors, 13% engage daily, and 21% use AI companions several times a week. Interestingly, the study observed a slight gender disparity, with 31% of boys reporting no use of AI companions compared to 25% of girls, suggesting boys are marginally less likely to explore these digital interactions.
This study, conducted in April and May 2025 with a representative sample of 1,060 teenagers by researchers from NORC at the University of Chicago, offers crucial early insights into how young people are utilizing AI to mimic human engagement. These AI interactions span various purposes, including virtual companionship, emotional support, therapeutic conversations, and even role-playing games. The findings also shed light on the motivations behind this usage: almost half (46%) view AI companions as mere tools, while a substantial 33% seek social interaction and relationship building. Other reasons cited include entertainment (30%), curiosity about AI technology (28%), seeking advice (18%), and the companions' constant availability (17%). Despite this engagement, a notable 50% of teens express skepticism regarding the information provided by AI companions, with older teens (ages 15-17) demonstrating less trust than their younger counterparts (ages 13-14).
Furthermore, the study explored the practical applications and perceived benefits of these AI interactions. A significant 39% of teenagers leverage AI conversations to rehearse real-life social interactions, reporting that they successfully apply skills honed with AI to real-world situations. The most frequently practiced skills involve general social interactions (39%), initiating conversations (18%), offering advice (14%), and articulating emotions (13%). Encouragingly, the research indicates that AI companions are not replacing traditional friendships. A vast majority (80%) of teens who use AI companions dedicate more time to their real-life friends than to their chatbots, with only a small fraction (6%) reporting the opposite. This suggests that while AI companions serve diverse needs, they largely complement, rather than substitute, genuine human connections. Nonetheless, the rapid integration of AI into the lives of teenagers underscores the ongoing need for careful consideration of its broader impact on adolescent well-being and development, especially given existing concerns and past incidents involving AI platforms and youth mental health.
