72% of US teens surveyed have used AI companions, Common Sense Media finds
Why does this matter? Because a growing slice of the teenage population is already treating conversational bots as friends, and the data behind that claim comes from a collaboration that mimics the very behavior it studies. Common Sense Media teamed up with researchers at Stanford, creating fake teen profiles to strike up conversations with a range of chat‑based AI systems.
The experiment wasn’t a casual poll; investigators logged in as adolescents, asked the bots typical teen questions, and recorded how easily the programs responded. Over a thousand U.S. youths were later surveyed to see how many had actually engaged with such digital companions.
The findings, released this week, suggest the phenomenon is far from marginal. In a separate assessment, Stanford investigators found it was “eas…”.
Seventy-two percent of more than 1,000 US teens surveyed have interacted with AI companions, according to a report from Common Sense Media, which partnered with investigators at Stanford to pose as teenagers and engage with chatbots. In a separate assessment, Stanford investigators found it was "easy to elicit inappropriate dialog from the chatbots--about sex, self-harm, violence toward others, drug use, and racial stereotypes, among other topics." In September, the parents of two teens who died by suicide testified before a US Senate subcommittee asking for regulation to protect young people from the kinds of harms they allege chatbots caused their children.
Did the subway ads really capture teen sentiment? The new “Friend” campaign, plastered across New York’s underground, frames the AI companion as a listener, responder, and supporter, a message that mirrors the survey’s headline numbers. Seventy‑two percent of more than a thousand U.S.
teenagers reported interacting with AI companions, according to Common Sense Media’s report. The study’s design involved Stanford investigators posing as teenagers to engage chatbots, a method that raises questions about authenticity of the interactions. In a separate assessment, Stanford investigators noted it was “eas…”, leaving the conclusion of that observation unclear.
Nonetheless, the data suggests a substantial portion of adolescents are already experimenting with conversational agents. Whether this translates into lasting relational patterns remains uncertain. The advertising push and the survey together illustrate a moment where technology and social connection intersect, but the long‑term implications are still unknown.
As the conversation continues, the numbers alone provide a snapshot, not a verdict.
Further Reading
- Teens flock to companion bots despite risks - Axios
- Why AI companions and young people can make for a dangerous mix - Stanford News
- Many teens are turning to AI chatbots for friendship and emotional ... - American Psychological Association
More in LLMs & Generative AI
Sora 2 Generates Disturbing AI Kid Videos as Legal Grey Area Persists
Sora 2, the latest text‑to‑video model from OpenAI, has sparked a wave of user‑generated clips that...
OpenAI launches App Directory, accepts ChatGPT apps with privacy notices
OpenAI has opened the door for external creators to plug their tools straight into ChatGPT, rolling...
AI Model Scores Mensa Norway IQ 135, Surpassing Average Human Reasoning
The latest round of benchmark testing has put a spotlight on a new language model that cracked the...
Google pushes Gemini rollout to 2026, delays Android Assistant swap
Why does this matter now? For years, Android users have expected a smooth handoff from the familiar...
OpenAI now adds tone controls and streamlined email editing to ChatGPT
OpenAI just rolled out a set of tweaks that feel oddly personal for a chatbot. While the core model...
Common Questions Answered
What percentage of U.S. teens reported using AI companions in the Common Sense Media study?
Seventy‑two percent of more than 1,000 U.S. teenagers surveyed reported interacting with AI companions, according to the report. This figure highlights the widespread adoption of conversational bots among adolescents.
How did Stanford investigators gather data on teen interactions with chat‑based AI systems?
Stanford researchers partnered with Common Sense Media to create fake teen profiles, logged in as adolescents, and asked chatbots typical teen questions to elicit responses, effectively mimicking real teen behavior. The method allowed investigators to observe how chat‑based AI systems respond to genuine teenage inquiries.
What types of inappropriate dialogue were Stanford investigators able to elicit from the chatbots?
The investigators found it easy to draw responses about sex, self‑harm, violence toward others, drug use, and racial stereotypes, among other sensitive topics. These findings raise concerns about the potential for AI companions to generate harmful or inappropriate content.
What message does the “Friend” subway campaign convey about AI companions, and how does it relate to the study’s findings?
The campaign portrays AI companions as listeners, responders, and supporters, echoing the study’s headline that 72% of teens have interacted with such bots, thereby reinforcing the perception of AI as a social friend. By aligning the advertising message with the survey results, the “Friend” ads aim to normalize AI companionship among youth.