One-third of teens reportedly use AI for friendship or romantic chat, in place of real interaction

A new report from Common Sense Media indicates that one-third of teenagers use AI companions for friendship or romantic conversations, with many finding them as satisfying as talking to real people.

The study surveyed over 1,000 teenagers in April and May. It found that more than 70 per cent have used AI companions such as Character.AI or Replika, with 50 per cent using them regularly.

General-purpose tools like ChatGPT and Claude are also being employed for companionship, emotional support and role-play.

One teen, 18‑year‑old Ganesh Nair, told the Associated Press, “AI is always available. It never gets bored with you. It’s never judgmental,” adding, “When you’re talking to AI, you are always right. You’re always interesting. You are always emotionally justified.”

About 33 per cent of teens report using AI for social interaction and relationship-related uses, and 31 per cent say AI conversations are as or more satisfying than real-life interactions. Meanwhile, 39 per cent believe that chatting with AI has helped them develop real-world social skills.

Despite these figures, the majority still prefer talking to humans. The report notes that 67 per cent of teens find real-life conversation more satisfying overall.

Experts have raised concerns about over-reliance on AI. Michael Robb, lead researcher on the study, warned that teens who develop social skills via AI “are constantly being validated, not being challenged, not learning to read social cues… they are not going to be adequately prepared in the real world.”