Nearly three in four US teens have used an AI companion, and half are regular users

Common Sense Media released this finding in July 2025, based on a nationally representative survey of 1,060 teens aged 13 to 17, conducted by researchers at NORC at the University of Chicago.

• 72% had used an AI companion at least once
• 52% are regular users (a few times a month or more)
• 13% use one daily

The usage pattern isn't mostly romantic. Companionship and social interaction was the largest single use case, split between practicing conversation, emotional support, roleplay, and having something like a best friend. Romantic or flirtatious use accounted for 8 percent on its own, smaller than the headlines about "AI girlfriends" for teens might suggest.

• Companionship and social interaction: 33%
• Romantic or flirtatious use: 8%

Trust in the technology splits sharply by age. Younger teens, 13 and 14 year olds, trusted AI companion advice more than 15 to 17 year olds did, which the report's authors flagged as a literacy gap rather than a comfort level worth celebrating.

• A third of teen users brought up something serious with an AI companion instead of a person
• 24% had shared real names or locations with one

Common Sense Media's recommendation, based on this data, is that no one under 18 use AI companions at all.