Speaking to Fox News Channel, Michael Robb, who is head of research at Common Sense Media and the author of this study, revealed that a shocking 72 percent of teens are using AI for companionship.
"There are a lot more teens using AI companions than I thought when we first started out on this research study. I thought you know we'd just be getting kind of like a baseline. This is kind of a new technology. I didn't think it would be permeating across society, but I was very very surprised to see how many teens are actually using these companions."
What could the consequences of this be? One is the risk of greater loneliness by embracing new-age imaginary friends.
"The potential consequence of kids replacing human relationships with AI companions is that they don't get the opportunities to really develop the skills that they're going to need in the real world. Even though we're moving into a world where AI is obviously becoming much more predominant in peoples’ lives, and computers are becoming very dominant in peoples’ lives, people skills are going to be really really important. I would hate to see that kids don't develop those skills and that in a quest to feel less lonely, they accidentally make themselves more lonely because they are more reliant on AI companions,” Robb said.
He also urged parents to be very mindful about their children's interactions with AI.
"It's good to help your kid understand that these platforms are programmed to be agreeable and validating which is not how real relationships work. Real friends sometimes disagree with us; they help us see things from other perspectives, and they can provide support in ways that AI simply cannot."
