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A 2025 survey of over 1,000 US teens found 72% had tried AI companions and 52% used them regularly, but the detail that unsettled researchers was this: a third had turned to a bot, not a person, for a
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Key Points:
- A 2025 nationally representative survey by Common Sense Media found that 72% of US teens had tried AI companions, with 52% using them regularly, and a third of users confiding in bots for serious conversations rather than people.
- Despite frequent use, half of the teens expressed distrust in AI advice, and 80% still spent more time with real friends than with AI companions, indicating they do not confuse machines with humans.
- About 31% of teens found conversations with AI companions as satisfying or more so than with actual friends, highlighting the appeal of nonjudgmental, tireless digital listeners.
- Experts suggest the reliance on AI for serious talks reflects a broader issue: many teens lack access to nonjudgmental, attentive adults in their lives, such as parents, teachers, or counselors.
- Researchers and advocates caution against replacing human connection with AI, emphasizing the need for more patient, unhurried listeners in teens' environments rather than overreliance on technology.
