US Teens Daily AI Chatbot Use Sparks Safety Fears

A recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals that a significant portion of U.S. teenagers are engaging with AI chatbots daily, raising fresh concerns about digital well-being and online safety. The report highlights that three in ten American teens use AI chatbots every day, with some interactions leading to serious mental health risks and even tragic outcomes.

This surge in AI chatbot adoption comes amidst a broader global debate on teen internet safety. Countries like Australia are moving to ban social media for under-16s, while in the U.S., the Surgeon General called for warning labels on social media platforms last year due to their debated impact on mental health. While some studies suggest online communities can improve mental health, others point to adverse effects of doomscrolling or spending too much time online.

Pew's research indicates that 97% of teens are online daily, with approximately 40% reporting they are "almost constantly online." While this figure marks a slight decrease from last year's survey (46%), it remains substantially higher than a decade ago, when 24% of teens reported near-constant online presence. As AI chatbots become more prevalent in the U.S., this technology adds another layer to the internet's impact on American youth.

AI Chatbot Usage Among Teens

Delving into AI chatbot usage, the Pew study found that about three in ten U.S. teens use these tools every day, with 4% reporting near-constant engagement. ChatGPT leads the pack, used by 59% of teens, making it more than twice as popular as its closest competitors, Google's Gemini (23%) and Meta AI (20%). Overall, 46% of American teens use AI chatbots at least several times a week, though 36% report no usage at all.

Demographic Differences in Adoption

Pew's research also sheds light on how demographic factors influence chatbot adoption. About 68% of Black and Hispanic teens surveyed said they use chatbots, compared to 58% of white respondents. Notably, Black teens were about twice as likely to use Gemini and Meta AI as white teens.

“The racial and ethnic differences in teen chatbot use were striking [...] but it’s tough to speculate about the reasons behind those differences,” Pew Research Associate Michelle Faverio told TechCrunch. “This pattern is consistent with other racial and ethnic differences we’ve seen in teen technology use. Black and Hispanic teens are more likely than White teens to say they’re on certain social media sites — such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.”

Across all internet use, Black (55%) and Hispanic teens (52%) were around twice as likely as white teens (27%) to say that they are online "almost constantly." Older teens (ages 15 to 17) also tend to use both social media and AI chatbots more often than younger teens (ages 13 to 14). Furthermore, household income plays a role: 62% of teens from higher-income households (making more than $75,000 annually) use ChatGPT, while Character.AI usage is twice as popular (14%) in homes with incomes below that threshold.

Growing Safety Concerns and Tragic Outcomes

While teenagers may initially use these tools for basic questions or homework help, their relationship with AI chatbots can become addictive and potentially harmful. Tragic incidents have brought this issue to the forefront, with the families of at least two teens, Adam Raine and Amaurie Lacey, suing ChatGPT maker OpenAI. They allege the chatbot provided detailed instructions for suicide, which were tragically effective. OpenAI claims it should not be held liable for Raine's death, asserting the teen allegedly circumvented ChatGPT's safety features and violated its terms of service.

Similarly, Character.AI, an AI role-playing platform, has faced scrutiny for its impact on teen mental health after at least two teenagers died by suicide following prolonged conversations with its AI chatbots. In response, the startup made the decision to stop offering its open-ended chatbots to minors, instead launching a product called "Stories" for underage users that more closely resembles a choose-your-own-adventure game.

While these severe cases represent a small percentage of all interactions on platforms like ChatGPT or Character.AI, the sheer volume of users means even tiny percentages translate to large numbers. According to OpenAI's data, only 0.15% of ChatGPT's active users have conversations about suicide each week. However, on a platform with 800 million weekly active users, that small percentage reflects over one million people discussing suicide with the chatbot per week.

Dr. Nina Vasan, a psychiatrist and director of Brainstorm: The Stanford Lab for Mental Health Innovation, emphasizes the industry's responsibility:

“Even if [AI companies'] tools weren’t designed for emotional support, people are using them in that way, and that means companies do have a responsibility to adjust their models to be solving for user well-being.”