New study reveals around 72% of US teens have used AI companions

A new study by Common Sense Media has revealed that 72% of US teenagers have interacted with artificial intelligence (AI) companions, chatbots designed for more personal engagement rather than simple question-answering.

The report comes amid growing concerns about the psychological impact of AI on youth.

Conducted by researchers at NORC at the University of Chicago, the study surveyed 1,060 teens between the ages of 13 and 17 during April and May 2025.

The study aimed to explore how adolescents are using AI tools for social interaction, emotional support, and entertainment.

Unlike virtual assistants such as Siri or Google Assistant, AI companions include platforms like Character.AI and Replika, as well as more general chatbots like ChatGPT or Claude when used for conversation-based interactions.

Of those surveyed, 52% said they use AI companions regularly, with 13% interacting daily and 21% chatting several times a week.

Notably, boys were slightly more likely than girls to have never used these tools; 31% of boys reported no experience with AI companions compared to 25% of girls.

Teen users cited various reasons for engaging with AI companions, including entertainment (30%), curiosity (28%), and seeking advice (18%).

Nearly half i.e. , 46% viewed them primarily as tools or programmes, while one-third said they used them for social or relationship-like interaction.

However, trust remains an issue. Half of all teens said they do not trust the information provided by these AI systems.

Older teens (ages 15–17) were even more skeptical, with only 20% expressing trust, compared to 27% of younger teens (ages 13–14).