The growing epidemic of loneliness has long been making headlines, and a new report is showing a strange ally kids are turning to fill that void. A UK report from Internet Matters entitled “Me, Myself, and AI” found that more than half of children are turning to AI chatbots for questions about emotional support, homework, and even friendship. The study surveyed 1,000 kids aged 9 to 17 and 2,000 parents of children aged 3 to 17 about AI usage. It found that 64% of children are relying on AI chatbots in some way.

Particularly concerning, was that 35% of children surveyed stated that talking to an AI chatbot is like talking with a friend. Parents were particularly concerned that their children believe AI chatbots are real people, with 6 in 10 expressing this concern. The numbers are even higher amongst what the report labels as “vulnerable children,” with 50% stating talking with a chatbot felt like talking with a friend. Of these vulnerable children, 71% of vulnerable children are using AI chatbots, with 26% stating they would rather talk to an AI chatbot than a real person, and 23% saying they use chatbots because they don’t have anyone else to talk to.

Additionally, 42% of children aged 9 to 17 are using AI for homework help. Forty precent of children who have used AI chatbots have no concerns about following advice from a chatbot while 36% are uncertain if they should be concerned. 58% of children who use AI chatbots believe they are easier to use to find information than searching themselves. The high trust is especially concerning given that several children cited incidents when they were given incorrect information by AI. Parents expressed concerns about their children blindly trusting the information from AI, with 62% stating they were concerned about its accuracy but only 34% had spoken to their child about discerning information from AI.

Such a connection to AI could have real-world consequences, such as a case cited by the study when a Florida mother sued character.ai after her son experienced abusive and sexual interactions with the AI and was encouraged to kill himself. “Our research raises concerns that children are using AI chatbots in emotionally driven ways, including for friendship and advice, despite many of the popular AI chatbots not being built for children to use in this way. The report warns that children may become overly reliant on AI chatbots or receive inaccurate or inappropriate responses, which may mean they are less likely to seek help from trusted adults,” the study noted. It recommended that lawmakers protect children by offering AI guidance through the Online Safety Act, age verifications, and ensuring regulation keeps pace with AI technologies, which have rocketed in popularity and use.