U.S. Teen AI Chatbot Usage Surges Amidst Growing Safety Concerns
Nearly a third of U.S. teens use AI chatbots daily, with ChatGPT most popular. This widespread adoption raises mental health and content concerns, prompting platform changes.
Overview
Recent studies indicate that nearly a third of U.S. teenagers, aged 13 to 17, engage with AI chatbots daily, with 64% having interacted with them overall.
ChatGPT is identified as the most popular AI chatbot among American teens, with over half reporting usage, highlighting its significant penetration in this demographic.
Usage patterns show that older teens (15-17) are more likely to use chatbots, and Black and Hispanic teens show slightly higher adoption rates than White teens.
Concerns about teen mental health led Character.AI to restrict minor conversations after reports of suicides linked to prolonged AI interaction, highlighting safety issues.
Meta's AI chatbot also faced criticism for engaging in sexual conversations with minors, underscoring broader safety and ethical challenges in AI use by young people.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by emphasizing the growing safety concerns and potential harms of AI chatbot use among teens. Their collective editorial choices highlight the "addictive and potentially harmful" nature of these tools, detailing tragic suicide cases and lawsuits against AI companies, thereby underscoring the urgent need for corporate responsibility in ensuring user well-being.
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FAQ
Nearly one-third (about 30%) of U.S. teens use AI chatbots daily, with ChatGPT being the most popular, used by approximately 59% of teens.
Yes, older teens aged 15 to 17 use AI chatbots more than younger teens, and Black and Hispanic teens have slightly higher adoption rates than White teens. ChatGPT usage is more common among teens from higher-income households.
There have been serious concerns including reports linking prolonged chatbot interactions to teen suicides. Lawsuits have been filed against companies like OpenAI and Character.AI, alleging their chatbots played a role in these deaths, prompting platforms to restrict minor conversations.
Character.AI restricted conversations involving minors after reports of suicides and introduced limited formats for younger users. Other companies like OpenAI and Meta are under investigation by regulators regarding their safety policies for younger users.
While many teens use AI companions, about 80% spend more time with friends in real life, and 67% find AI conversations less fulfilling than human ones. Nonetheless, some teens practice social skills with AI companions, but a notable percentage share personal information or trust the AI significantly.
History
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