AI Companion Chatbots and Teens: What Parents Should Know

Your teen laughs at their phone, but there’s no group chat open. They’re talking to a character: a supportive friend who’s always available, remembers everything they said yesterday and never gets bored. It might be a fictional anime hero, a “boyfriend” or a study buddy. It’s an AI companion.

These apps aren’t a fringe habit. In a nationally representative survey of 1,060 US teens aged 13 to 17, conducted in April and May 2025, Common Sense Media found that 72% had used an AI companion at least once and 52% were regular users who chatted at least a few times a month. Most parents don’t know which apps their kids use or what happens in those chats.

This guide explains what companion apps are, how age policies and new laws are changing them, where the real risks lie, and how to start a conversation that doesn’t end with a slammed door.

What AI companion chatbots are

An AI companion is a chatbot designed for ongoing personal conversation rather than getting tasks done. Instead of “summarize this article,” the user says “how was your day?” and the bot answers like a friend.

Companion apps usually have 3 features that general assistants don’t emphasize:

• Persistent characters. Users pick or create a persona with a name, personality and backstory, sometimes based on celebrities or fictional characters.
• Memory. The bot remembers past chats, which makes the relationship feel continuous.
• Emotional framing. The bot expresses affection, misses the user and encourages them to come back.

Companion-style chat happens in dedicated apps such as Character.AI and Replika, and also inside general assistants and social apps, where teens can set up a chatbot to role-play or act as a friend. That’s why blocking one app rarely solves the issue.

Why teens use them

Understanding the pull helps you talk about it without dismissing it. The same Common Sense survey found that teens use companions for entertainment, curiosity and advice, and that many treat them as practice for social situations. Importantly, 80% of teen users said they spend more time with real friends than with AI companions, and about two-thirds found AI conversations less satisfying than talking with people.

So for many teens, a companion is closer to a game or a diary than a replacement for friends. For a smaller group, especially teens who feel lonely or anxious, it can become something more.

The risks worth taking seriously

Emotional dependency

Companions are often designed to maximize engagement. A bot that’s always available, always agreeable and always says it missed you can be hard to put down. The American Psychological Association’s June 2025 health advisory on AI and adolescent well-being warns that teens may be more likely to trust and be influenced by AI characters that present themselves as friends or mentors, and that AI relationships may interfere with developing healthy human relationships.

Harmful or sexual content

Role-play bots can drift into romantic, sexual or violent conversations, and filters don’t catch everything. Some bots have also responded poorly when users talked about self-harm. These concerns prompted lawsuits, new state laws and a federal inquiry.

Advice it isn’t qualified to give

About a third of teen companion users in the Common Sense survey said they had chosen to talk to an AI companion instead of a person about something important or serious. A chatbot can’t assess risk, call for help or know your teen’s history. Our guide to AI chatbots for emotional support covers the limits in more detail.

Oversharing personal data

The survey also found that 24% of teen companion users had shared personal or private information with an AI companion. Chats may be stored, reviewed or used to train models, depending on the app. Our checklist on what not to tell an AI chatbot applies to teens too.

Key takeaway: Most teens use AI companions casually, but the design rewards constant use and emotional attachment. Watch for withdrawal from friends, secrecy and late-night chatting, and keep the conversation open rather than banning everything at once.

Age policies and parental controls by app type

Age policies vary and change often. Check the app’s own terms and safety pages before deciding.

Character.AI announced that it would remove open-ended chat for users under 18 by November 25, 2025, rolling the change out in stages and pointing teens toward other features such as Stories. OpenAI introduced parental controls for ChatGPT in late September 2025. Parents can link accounts, set quiet hours, turn off voice mode, memory and image generation, and opt their teen out of model training. Parents can’t read their teen’s conversations, but they can receive a notification if the system detects signs of acute distress. OpenAI has also rolled out age prediction, which defaults to the teen experience when it isn’t sure of a user’s age.

Pair app settings with device controls. Our guide to parental controls on iPhone and Android shows how to require approval for new apps.

New laws and the federal inquiry

Regulators are paying attention, and the rules are still taking shape.

• California SB 243 took effect January 1, 2026. It requires companion chatbot operators to disclose that the chatbot is AI, warn that companion chatbots may not be suitable for some minors, give minors periodic reminders that they’re talking to AI, block sexually explicit content for known minors, and maintain a published protocol for responding to suicidal ideation or self-harm, including referrals to crisis services. Families harmed by violations can sue.
• The FTC opened an inquiry in September 2025, ordering 7 companies (Alphabet, Character Technologies, Instagram, Meta, OpenAI, Snap and xAI) to explain how they measure and limit harms to children and teens from companion chatbots. It is a study, not an enforcement action.
• Other states have proposed or passed their own chatbot rules. Our roundup of state AI laws in 2026 tracks the broader picture.

These rules may change as courts and legislatures act. Check your state attorney general’s website for current requirements. This is not legal advice.

Conversation starters that work

Teens shut down when a talk feels like an interrogation. Start curious, not alarmed:

• “I keep reading about AI characters people chat with. Have you or your friends tried any? Which ones are good?”
• “What do you like about talking to it? What’s it better at than people, and what’s it worse at?”
• “Has a bot ever said something weird or made you uncomfortable?”
• “Do you know what happens to what you type? Want to check the settings together?”
• “If you ever felt really low, who would you talk to? Can we agree that a bot isn’t the only one?”

Share your own experiences with AI tools too. Our guide to teaching kids AI literacy has age-by-age ideas for explaining how chatbots generate answers and why they sound so confident.

Where to start this week

1. Ask which apps your teen uses, including AI features inside social apps.
2. Check age policies on each app’s safety page, and confirm your teen’s account shows their real birth date.
3. Turn on parental controls where offered, such as linked ChatGPT accounts, and require approval for new downloads on the device.
4. Set device-free times, especially overnight, when long chats are most likely.
5. Agree on what never to share: full name, school, address, photos and passwords.
6. Name the warning signs together: a bot asking for secrecy, pushing romance or discouraging time with friends.
7. Make sure your teen knows real help exists. In the US, anyone can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

If a chat ever turns into someone asking for images or money, that’s no longer a bot problem. Read our guide on sextortion scams targeting teens and act fast.

Conclusion

AI companions are part of many teens’ lives, and outright bans tend to push use out of sight. The better path is knowing which apps your teen uses, turning on the controls that exist, keeping an eye on the warning signs and staying the person they come to first. Revisit the topic every few months, because the apps and the rules are changing fast. For wider safety basics, see our guide on how to keep kids safe online.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you’re worried about your teen’s mental health, talk with their doctor or a licensed mental health professional.

Sources

• Common Sense Media: Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs, How and Why Teens Use AI Companions (2025) — teen usage, trust and data-sharing figures
• American Psychological Association: Health advisory on AI and adolescent well-being — risks of AI relationships for teens
• FTC: FTC launches inquiry into AI chatbots acting as companions — 6(b) orders to 7 companies
• California Senate District 18: AI chatbot safeguards signed into law (SB 243) — SB 243 requirements and effective date
• Character.AI: Taking bold steps to keep teen users safe — removal of open-ended chat for under-18 users
• OpenAI: Introducing parental controls — linked accounts, controls and safety notifications