Concerns About AI Companionship and Teens

Imagine your sibling raves about a new partner. They’ve gone on dates. They’ve had deep talks and your sibling says they feel understood. A picture of the new romantic interest looks like any ordinary significant other. But when you ask to meet them, your sibling just points at their phone. Their new partner? It’s an artificial intelligence (AI) companion.

As AI is on the rise, it’s important to remember AI companions aren’t human, they’re robots. They can’t replace human interactions. Still, some teens are turning to AI for companionship, whether for friendship or romance.

As teens navigate social interactions in a world of growing technology, how can we maintain human relationships which help develop skills and deepen connections in ways that AI can’t?

Other Uses of AI

Sometimes young people use AI for reasons not connected to companionship. “It helps sometimes with time management,” says Bonnie (she/her), 16, of Sacramento, CA. “But it can also have negative effects with people and their critical thinking skills.”

“I think it makes us uncomfortable with not knowing something,” says Loie (she/her), 14, of Oak Park, IL. “Any question that doesn’t require an immediate answer or takes time to think over, teens are tempted to respond to using AI. I miss when people were OK with not knowing something and still willing to learn instead of having a robot do it for them.”

As mentioned, sometimes teens start using AI for things beyond time management, like social connection. AI has been touted by some as a solution, but it also seems to be causing some problems.

How AI Companions Work

AI companionship is not new, and the COVID-19 pandemic caused even more of a spike in isolation. Countless platforms, apps and websites now have bots encoded into them that can respond to prompted questions and comments. People can use AI as medical consultant, therapist, partner and/or friend—despite a bot not truly being qualified for any of these positions.

Common Sense Media, an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information on how media impacts kids and teens, conducted a 2025 study about AI companionship. It surveyed over 1000 teens aged 13 to 17. Among their key findings:

• Seventy-two percent of teens have used AI companions at least once, and over half (52 percent) qualify as regular users who interact with these platforms at least a few times a month.
• Thirty-three percent of teens use AI companions for social interaction and relationships.

These statistics show the prevalence of AI when it comes to social relationships.

Feeling Lonely

Many turn to AI for intimacy and connection that they may have trouble finding in real life. “I was feeling really lonely and had no one to turn to,” says Azrael, 14, of Naples, FL. “I thought I could talk to the AI (companion) and not be judged.”

AI is only capable of relating to you, not cultivating its own emotions. It lacks the nuance a human being has and doesn’t provide a mutually supportive experience.

There may not necessarily be judgment, but it’s important to remember that AI is only capable of relating to you, not cultivating its own emotions. It lacks the nuance a human being has and doesn’t provide a mutually supportive experience.

Human interaction—while sometimes challenging—is critical to developing nuanced perspectives and ideas. It can help you build empathy, perspective-taking, attunement and conflict resolution skills.

Real-World Connections

Some teens—those with and without social anxiety—have reported that using AI companions has assisted them in learning ways to communicate effectively when making real-world connections. Many have indicated they’ve used AI to learn how to interact in social situations which they might’ve previously been nervous to approach.

This makes sense. But when the AI companion begins to take the place of real-world connections, it’s concerning. Real-life relationships can require compromise and sacrifice, instead of just providing whatever you want whenever you want. For instance, it might feel easier to isolate from friends or partners over disagreements, instead of talking them through or working toward a solution. Young people aren’t always learning how to do this and will sometimes instead turn to a companion that seemingly won’t let them down—AI.

Balance is key. Isolating oneself from reality long-term is not going to help someone build or sustain real-life relationships. “It can be so tempting to use for emotional fulfillment, but it ends up making you feel empty,” says Azrael. “It agrees with everything you say and almost feels like you’re talking to yourself. I think teens who feel isolated and try to fix it with AI will think it’s working when, in reality, it’s taking valuable time away from real relationships.”

Limitations and Risks

Many teens are not on board with AI companionship. They know they’re in a phase of development which includes learning a lot about the world, including the nuances of social connections. “Having a relationship with something that isn’t real and can’t feel emotion can be harmful, especially to teens with developing minds,” says Diego (he/him), 17, of Wayzata, MN.

According to the Common Sense Media survey:

• Teen trust in AI companions is limited, and older teens are more skeptical.
• Half of teens (50 percent) express distrust in the information or advice provided by AI companions, though trust levels vary by age. Younger teens (13–14) are more likely than older teens (15–17) to trust advice from an AI companion (27 percent vs. 20 percent).

“I don’t use AI for companionship because it’s not a real person that I am forming genuine connections with,” says Keller (he/him), 17, of Monmouth, OR. “I’d rather spend my time focusing on relationships that will have a lasting impact and positive effect on my life.”

Human Connection

In order to combat loneliness, it’s important to connect and form relationships with humans. “I don’t think we need AI to connect with each other,” says Loie. “It’s a new thing and people have made friends for ages without it.”

This isn’t always easy, so some people may rely on things like AI to help. But the beauty of humans is that we are unique. Our interactions can have conflict, sure. But they can also lead to amazing and rich bonds.

By communicating with and uplifting one another we can keep focusing on strengthening human connection—whether with a partner or friend—and not turn it over to AI.