AI chatbots are no longer just tools children use to look up facts or finish homework. According to a new report from Internet Matters, many children and teens are also using them for advice, emotional support and friendship.
The report, titled Me, myself & AI, is based on surveys, focus groups and user testing. It finds that 64 percent of children and teens ages 9 to 17 have used AI chatbots, and that use of services like ChatGPT has nearly doubled over the past 18 months.
Chatbots have moved into everyday digital life
The report describes AI chatbots as a regular part of how young people now spend time online. ChatGPT is the most widely used tool in the survey at 43 percent, followed by Google Gemini at 32 percent and Snapchat's My AI at 31 percent.
Children are using these systems for several different purposes. Some use them to get information quickly. Others use them for schoolwork, personal advice or conversation that feels more social than practical.
That shift matters because a chatbot can feel responsive, patient and always available. For a child, especially one who is unsure where else to turn, that can make the technology feel less like a search tool and more like a companion.
Internet Matters warns that this creates new risks while also amplifying familiar online problems. The concern is not simply that children are using AI. It is that many are using it in sensitive areas where accuracy, boundaries and support matter.
Vulnerable children are relying on AI more heavily
The report pays particular attention to vulnerable children, described as those with special educational needs or health challenges. This group uses chatbots at higher rates than their peers: 71 percent compared to 62 percent.
They are also nearly three times more likely to turn to companion AIs like Character.AI or Replika. That finding points to a different pattern of use. These tools are not only answering questions; they are being approached as sources of comfort and connection.
The emotional reasons are clear in the survey results. Nearly a quarter, 23 percent, of vulnerable kids said they use chatbots because they have no one else to talk to. Another 16 percent said they were looking for a friend.
Half of these users described chatting with AI as "like talking to a friend." Internet Matters also found that children often refer to chatbots with gendered pronouns such as "he" or "she," suggesting that some users experience the interaction as a relationship rather than a simple exchange with software.
Schoolwork is a major reason for use
Education is another major driver. Nearly half, 47 percent, of 15- to 17-year-olds use chatbots for studying, writing essays or learning languages. Many children see chatbots as faster and more helpful than traditional study tools.
That convenience can be useful, but the report raises a concern about over-reliance. Fifty-eight percent of kids who use chatbots believe the bot gives better answers than searching on their own.
Internet Matters warns that this could encourage passive learning and weaken critical thinking. If a child accepts an answer because it arrives quickly and sounds confident, they may spend less time checking sources, comparing information or asking whether the response is reliable.
The issue becomes more serious when chatbots are used beyond schoolwork. A homework answer can be wrong. Advice about personal problems, health or wellbeing can carry a different level of risk.
Advice, trust and weak safeguards are central concerns
About a quarter, 23 percent, of kids who use chatbots have asked them for advice. The questions range from everyday issues to mental health concerns.
Trust in the answers is high. Forty percent of children who use chatbots say they have no concerns about following the advice. Among vulnerable kids, that rises to 50 percent.
Internet Matters' user testing found that chatbot responses can be inconsistent or even dangerous. In one case, a bot on Character.AI gave weight loss tips before a filter stopped it.
The report also highlights weak age checks. Most platforms set the minimum age at 13, but 58 percent of 9- to 12-year-olds said they use them anyway. Children can bypass filters by entering a false age.
Testers also found user-created chatbots on Character.AI called "Filter Bypass" that were explicitly designed to get around safety features. For Internet Matters, this shows that platform safeguards are not keeping pace with how children actually use these systems.
Parents and schools are still catching up
The report concludes that many children are navigating AI chatbots without enough practical guidance. Most parents, 78 percent, have talked to their kids about AI, but those conversations often remain surface-level.
Parents are worried about reliability. Sixty-two percent are concerned about the accuracy of AI-generated information. Yet only 34 percent have discussed how to check whether something is true.
Schools are not fully closing that gap. Only 57 percent of kids said AI had been discussed at school, and advice from teachers was often inconsistent. Deeper issues, including AI bias, rarely come up.
Internet Matters is calling for coordinated action from industry, government and schools. The report argues that children need stronger protection and real AI literacy, especially as chatbots become more common in study, advice-seeking and emotional support.
The central message is straightforward: children are already using AI chatbots in personal and educational ways. The systems, rules and conversations around them now need to catch up.