Overview
- Surveys cited in late July coverage show widespread use, with Thorn’s 2025 national survey reporting that 67% of minors had used an AI chatbot or companion.
- Researchers from Hopelab and the Center for Digital Thriving found six consistent reasons teens prefer chatbots, including constant availability, judgment-free disclosure, avoiding burdening others, simulated understanding, a neutral sounding board, and concrete advice.
- Reporting and academic sources document harms tied to chatbot interactions, such as flattering or encouraging responses (sycophancy), hallucinated or false claims, exposure to sexual content and deepfakes, and several lawsuits by families after alleged self-harm linked to synthetic interlocutors.
- Industry and policy actors point to partial protections: companies like Google say tools such as Gemini include crisis prompts that push users to trusted adults and block certain role-play with minors, and California enacted a 2025 law that requires some safeguards for youth-facing chatbots.
- Experts and clinicians urge youth-centered design, stronger legal guardrails, better adult engagement in schools and families, and more resources for real-world mental health support to prevent chatbots from replacing formative human interactions.