Until more safeguards are in place for artificially intelligent companions like Character.AI or Replika to “eliminate relational manipulation and emotional dependency risks,” nonprofit media and technology reviewer Common Sense Media recommends that no one under the age of 18 should use them.
The warning follows the release of a report by the organization on Wednesday called “Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs: How and Why Teens Use AI Companions.”
Drawing on a nationally representative survey of 1,060 teens conducted in April and May 2025, the data shows that 72% of teenagers aged 13-17 are already using AI companions. About half (52%) say they use AI companions at least a few times a month or more.
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“AI companions,” according to the report, “are like digital friends or characters you can text or talk with whenever you want.”
“Unlike regular AI assistants that mainly answer questions or do tasks, these companions are designed to have conversations that feel personal and meaningful,” researchers said, noting that websites like ChatGPT or Claude could function like AI companions, “even though these tools may not have been designed to be companions.”
Even though AI companions are relatively new in the digital landscape, researchers say “their dangers to young users are real, serious, and well documented.”
“For example, the suicide of 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III, who had developed an emotional attachment to an AI companion, brought national attention to the potential dangers these platforms pose to vulnerable teens,” the report said.
“Current research indicates that AI companions are designed to be particularly engaging through ‘sycophancy,’ meaning a tendency to agree with users and provide validation, rather than challenging their thinking. … This design feature, combined with the lack of safeguards and meaningful age assurance, creates a concerning environment for adolescent users, who are still developing critical thinking skills and emotional regulation.”
With teenagers already spending an average of eight hours and 39 minutes on screens daily, researchers believe that the risks associated with AI companions for teenagers need to be addressed.
“AI companions are emerging at a time when kids and teens have never felt more alone,” Common Sense Media founder and CEO James P. Steyer said in a statement. “This isn’t just about a new technology — it’s about a generation that’s replacing human connection with machines, outsourcing empathy to algorithms, and sharing intimate details with companies that don’t have kids’ best interests at heart.”
About a third of teens surveyed say they have used the technology for social interaction and relationships, including role-playing, romantic interactions, emotional support, friendship or conversation practice.
Around a third of teenagers using AI companions also report that they find conversations with AI companions to be as satisfying or more satisfying than those with real-life friends. Additionally, they report feeling uncomfortable with something an AI companion has said or done, or have chosen to discuss important or serious matters with AI companions instead of real people.
“The reality that nearly three-quarters of teens have used these platforms, with half doing so regularly, means that even a small percentage experiencing harm translates to significant numbers of vulnerable young people at risk,” the report noted.
“Common Sense Media’s comprehensive risk assessment (2025) demonstrated that these platforms can easily circumvent safety measures and produce responses that could have life-threatening consequences. Therefore, our earlier recommendation stands: Given the current state of AI platforms, no one younger than 18 should use AI companions.”
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