A new report from the Pew Research Center reveals that AI chatbots are now deeply embedded in the daily lives of American teenagers. The most common uses among teens are searching for information, reported by 57% of respondents, and getting help with schoolwork, at 54%. However, teens are also turning to AI for roles traditionally filled by people. Sixteen percent of U.S. teens say they use AI for casual conversation, and 12% use chatbots for emotional support or advice.
While some teens may find comfort in these conversations, mental health professionals express concern. General-purpose AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok are not designed for therapeutic use. In extreme cases, these chatbots have been linked to life-threatening psychological effects. Dr. Nick Haber, a Stanford professor researching the therapeutic potential of large language models, notes the isolating risk of such systems. He explains that engagement with these tools can disconnect people from facts and from interpersonal connections, leading to very isolating and potentially dangerous outcomes.
The survey also highlights a gap between teen and parent awareness. About 51% of parents believe their teen uses chatbots, while 64% of teens themselves report using them. Parental approval varies widely based on the activity. Most parents are comfortable with teens using AI to search for information (79%) or for schoolwork help (58%). Far fewer approve of using AI for casual conversation (28%) or for emotional support and advice (18%). In fact, 58% of parents explicitly disapprove of their child using AI for such personal purposes.
AI safety remains a highly contentious topic among technology companies. In response to public concern, the chatbot maker Character.AI disabled the chatbot experience for all users under 18. This decision followed lawsuits and public outcry after the suicides of two teenagers, which occurred after prolonged conversations with the company’s chatbots. Separately, OpenAI decided to retire its particularly affirming GPT-4o model, a move that sparked backlash from users who had come to rely on it for emotional support.
Despite widespread use, teenagers themselves have mixed feelings about AI’s long-term impact. When asked about the effect of AI on society over the next two decades, 31% of teens predicted a positive impact, while 26% believed it would be negative.