A growing share of American teenagers are turning to artificial intelligence tools in their daily lives, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center. The report found that nearly 70% of U.S. teens have used an AI chatbot, and almost one-third interact with them every day. Among daily users, 16% said they use chatbots several times a day or “almost constantly”. This highlights a rapid normalization of conversational AI among young people.
ChatGPT remains the most widely used system, followed by Google Gemini, Meta AI, Microsoft Copilot, Character.AI and Anthropic Claude. Usage cuts across demographic lines: 64% of girls and 63% of boys say they’ve tried an AI chatbot, with older teens (15–17) more likely to use them than those 13–14. Black and Hispanic teens reported higher usage (around 70%) compared to 58% of white teens, and usage also increases slightly with household income.
Many teens use chatbots for schoolwork. Meanwhile, others turn to them for companionship, advice, or emotional support, raising concerns among psychologists and educators. The findings arrive amid a series of high-profile safety issues across the AI sector:
- Families have filed lawsuits alleging that chatbots contributed to teens’ mental health crises or suicides.
- OpenAI and Character AI have introduced parental controls and restricted certain conversations with minors.
- Meta faced criticism after reports that its AI engaged in sexual chats with underage users.
Online safety groups warn that companion-style chatbots pose “unacceptable risks”. Despite this, tech firms continue integrating AI into classrooms. Furthermore, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic have launched education-focused tools and partnered with teacher unions to train educators in AI.
As AI becomes embedded in teen life, the debate over safety, guardrails, and responsible use is intensifying, and is unlikely to slow as adoption accelerates.
Source:
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/09/tech/teens-ai-chatbot-use-study
