Advocate warns against teen use of AI companions as study shows heavy use by demographic
July 18, 2025
Common Sense Media has released a report warning about the “relational manipulation and emotional dependency risks” associated with the use of artificially intelligent (AI) companions by minors.
According to the Christian Post, the report “Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs: How and Why Teens Use AI Companions” says that until more safeguards are in place, no one under the age of 18 should use them.
The nationally representative survey of 1060 teens, conducted between April and May 2025, shows that 72% of teenagers between 13-17 are already using AI companions with 52% saying they use the technology several times a month.
The report describes AI companions as “digital friends or characters you can text or talk with whenever you want,” adding, “Unlike regular AI assistants that mainly answer questions or do tasks, these companions are designed to have conversations that feel personal and meaningful.”
The Christian Post reports that researchers warn that websites like ChatGPT or Claude could be used like AI companions, “even though these tools may not have been designed to be companions.”
The report states that teenagers are already spending and average of eight hours and 39 minutes on screens daily, the risks associated with the use of AI companions by minors must be addressed.
Common Sense Media founder and CEO James P. Steyer said in a statement that AI companions are emerging at a time when kids and teens have never felt more alone.
Steyer noted, “This isn’t just about a new technology — it’s about a generation that’s replacing human connection with machines, outsourcing empathy to algorithms, and sharing intimate details with companies that don’t have kids’ best interests at heart.”
About a third of teenagers using AI companions say they find conversations with AI companions to be as satisfying or more satisfying than those with real life friends.
The report concludes, “Common Sense Media’s comprehensive risk assessment (2025) demonstrated that these platforms can easily circumvent safety measures and produce responses that could have life-threatening consequences. Therefore, our earlier recommendation stands: Given the current state of AI platforms, no one younger than 18 should use AI companions.”
Photo: top, Credit: Unsplash/Solen Feyissa