Nearly a Third of U.S. Teens Use AI Chatbots Daily, Raising Safety Fears
A new Pew Research Center study reveals that 30% of U.S. teens use AI chatbots daily, with ChatGPT leading as the most popular tool. The findings highlight significant racial and demographic differences in usage as broader internet safety concerns continue to grow.
A new Pew Research Center study shows that nearly three in ten U.S. teens use AI chatbots every day, adding a new layer to the ongoing debate about youth internet safety. ChatGPT dominates the market among teenagers, with 59% of respondents reporting that they use it, which is more than twice the usage of Google's Gemini and Meta AI. Overall, 46% of teens interact with AI tools at least several times a week, while 36% say they do not use chatbots at all.
The research reveals striking demographic differences in how teenagers adopt this technology. Black and Hispanic teens are significantly more likely to use AI chatbots than their white peers, mirroring similar trends seen across social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Additionally, Black and Hispanic teens are about twice as likely as white teens to report being online "almost constantly," though overall constant internet usage has slightly decreased compared to last year.
These findings emerge as global concerns about teen internet safety reach a boiling point, with Australia preparing to enforce a strict social media ban for under-16s. In the United States, medical professionals like the U.S. surgeon general continue to push for warning labels on social media products due to mental health risks. As AI chatbots become deeply integrated into daily teenage life, these tools represent the latest frontier in evaluating how constant online connectivity impacts young people.