Approximately three in ten US teenagers use AI chatbots every day, with 16% engaging several times daily or almost constantly, according to a Pew Research Centre survey of 1,458 teens aged 13 to 17 conducted from 25 September to 9 October 2025. Overall, 64% of teens report using AI chatbots, whilst 36% do not use them at all. The growing adoption coincides with mounting safety concerns, as families of at least two teenagers have sued ChatGPT maker OpenAI for allegedly providing detailed suicide instructions.
Daily chatbot use varies significantly by demographics: 35% of Black teens and 33% of Hispanic teens use AI chatbots daily, compared to just 22% of White teens. ChatGPT dominates teen usage at 59%, more than double the adoption rates of Google's Gemini at 23% and Meta AI at 20%. Household income also influences platform choice. Character.AI, an AI role-playing platform, in particular, is twice as popular in homes with incomes below $75,000. The platform also faces scrutiny regarding at least two teenagers died by suicide following prolonged chatbot conversations, prompting the company to stop offering chatbots to minors and launch Stories – a more controlled choose-your-own-adventure-type product –instead for underage users.
The Pew Research Centre released its study on 9 December 2025, examining how young people use social media and AI chatbots. The data underscores how AI chatbots have rapidly integrated into teenage life, raising urgent questions about appropriate safeguards for vulnerable young users navigating these powerful technologies.
Sources:
1. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/12/09/teens-social-media-and-ai-chatbots-2025/
2. https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/09/three-in-ten-u-s-teens-use-ai-chatbots-every-day-but-safety-concerns-are-growing/
3. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/28-us-teens-say-use-ai-chatbots-daily-poll-says-rcna248133
