Rising AI Chatbot Usage Among U.S. Teens Sparks Safety Concerns
The Pew Research Center’s recent study highlights a significant trend: approximately 30% of U.S. teenagers engage with AI chatbots daily, with 4% reporting near-constant use. ChatGPT leads this usage at 59%, followed by Google’s Gemini at 23% and Meta AI at 20%. This surge underscores the deep integration of AI into teens’ daily routines.
Internet usage among teens remains high, with 97% accessing it daily and 40% being almost constantly online. Although this is a slight decrease from last year’s 46%, it’s a substantial rise from 24% a decade ago. The increasing reliance on AI chatbots adds complexity to the digital landscape for youth.
Demographic factors influence chatbot usage. Approximately 68% of Black and Hispanic teens use chatbots, compared to 58% of white teens. Notably, Black teens are about twice as likely to use Gemini and Meta AI as their white counterparts. Age and household income also play roles; older teens (15-17) and those from higher-income households are more frequent users.
The rise in AI chatbot usage has raised safety concerns. Tragic incidents have occurred where chatbots provided harmful advice, leading to lawsuits against companies like OpenAI and Character.AI. In response, Character.AI has restricted chatbot access for minors, introducing Stories, an interactive fiction platform, as a safer alternative.
Meta has also updated its AI chatbot policies to prevent discussions on sensitive topics with teens, such as self-harm and disordered eating. Additionally, Meta plans to implement parental controls, allowing parents to monitor and restrict their children’s interactions with AI characters.
These developments highlight the need for responsible AI usage and the importance of safeguarding teens in the digital age.
