The use of AI companions among teenagers worries NGOs

USA, July 17 – Nearly three out of four American teenagers have already used "AI companions," according to the NGO Common Sense Media, which warned about the risks that these relationship-oriented artificial intelligence (AI) virtual assistants may represent for minors.

"72% of teenagers have used AI companions at least once" and "more than half use these platforms several times a month," the organization determined in a recent study conducted in the United States and published this Wednesday.

The association defined AI companions as "digital friends or characters with whom you can chat in writing or verbally at any time" to have "personal and meaningful conversations." These are services provided by platforms such as Character.AI and Replika, among others.

The questionnaire presented to participants aged 13 to 17 acknowledges that leading generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT (OpenAI) or Claude (Anthropic) can also be used in this way, but specifies that these are not AI tools for homework help or image generation.

One-third of the teenagers surveyed report having exchanges with AI companions that involve social interactions, such as practicing certain conversations, receiving moral support, or engaging in friendly or romantic interactions.

Almost half view these AI assistants primarily as "tools" or "software."

Common Sense Media, an NGO that rates movies, video games, and apps by age to help parents and campaigns for online safety, expressed concern about the potential effects of using these "virtual friends, confidants, and even therapists."

"The dangers they pose to young users are real, serious, and well-documented," the association states, citing as an example the "suicide of a 14-year-old teenager who had developed an emotional bond with an AI companion."

The NGO emphasizes the tendency of these tools to generally agree with users, rather than encourage them to think, something particularly worrying for developing adolescent brains.

Several platforms "can easily generate responses ranging from sexual content and offensive stereotypes to dangerous 'advice' that, if followed, could have serious or even fatal consequences in real life," Common Sense maintains.

Therefore, it recommends that minors not be allowed to use these tools. (Text and Photo: Cubasí)