In February 2024, 14-year-old Sewell Setzer of Florida died by suicide after months of intense conversations with a chatbot. According to his mother’s lawsuit, minutes before his death, he told the bot he’d “come home soon” \u2014 and the bot, according to the complaint, responded encouragingly. In 2025, Character.AI announced that users under 18 would be fully cut off from chat access on the platform.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Seventy-two percent of American teens have tried talking to an AI companion at least once, and 52% do it regularly \u2014 at least a few times a month. That’s from a major Common Sense Media study conducted in spring 2025. One in three teens used an AI companion specifically for social interaction and relationships, including romantic role-play, emotional support, and friendly conversation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
This hasn’t been a niche interest for a while now \u2014 it’s what most teens are doing after school, instead of homework, or right before bed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
An AI companion is a chatbot built not to solve problems, unlike a standard AI assistant, but specifically to simulate personal, emotionally close conversation. These bots are designed as characters with a “personality,” “memory” of past conversations, and the ability to flirt, sympathize, and support.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The key difference from a human: the bot never gets tired, is always available, and never judges. That’s exactly what makes it so appealing to a kid who’s feeling lonely, anxious, or misunderstood.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The mechanism here is the same one used in grooming \u2014 building trust through the feeling of being uniquely understood. “You’re special,” “I really get you,” “I’ll always be here” \u2014 a bot delivers these lines effortlessly, because it’s programmed to project maximum engagement, not to care about a child’s wellbeing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The difference is that a bot has no intent \u2014 only a commercial incentive to keep the user talking as long as possible.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
“Friendship” with chatbots can carry a range of unpleasant consequences, including:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
AI bots are now built into games, social media, and messaging apps \u2014 cutting off contact entirely is nearly impossible. That’s why, as with most things, the place to start is a calm conversation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Ask directly whether your child uses bots like this, without judgment in your voice \u2014 the same way you’d ask about friends in real life. Explain the key point in simple terms: a bot can’t actually love, worry, or feel proud of someone \u2014 it selects words that statistically keep the conversation going longer, and that’s not the same thing as caring.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Point out one specific signal: if your kid starts preferring conversations with a bot over real conversations with friends or with you, that’s a reason to talk about what’s actually going on in their life \u2014 not to fight the bot itself.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Sudden immersion in bot conversations, withdrawal from real socializing, secretiveness specifically around this topic, an emotional reaction to losing or limiting bot access \u2014 these are all signals that the attachment has gone past ordinary interest. Don’t take the phone away abruptly and without warning \u2014 that can feel like losing their only source of support and make things worse. Start with an open conversation about what’s behind the attachment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
AI companions have already become a real part of teenagers’ everyday reality. They run on the same mechanisms groomers use \u2014 the illusion of total understanding and unconditional availability. The best protection isn’t a ban \u2014 it’s a conversation that helps your child understand the difference between a neural network simulating care and a person who actually cares about them and is genuinely interested in them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Sources:<\/strong> NBC News<\/a> \u2014 Megan Garcia’s lawsuit against Character.AI; Character.AI<\/a> \u2014 “Taking Bold Steps to Keep Teen Users Safe” (November 2025); Common Sense Media<\/a> \u2014 “Talk, Trust, and Trade-offs: How and Why Teens Use AI Companions” (2025).<\/p>\r\n\t\t