Can an AI companion help a lonely child?

An AI companion can make a lonely child feel listened to in the moment, and for some children it is a safe place to practise putting feelings into words. But it can't care about your child, notice when something is really wrong in the way a person would, or replace the friendships children need. The risk is that easy, always-available conversation crowds out the harder work of connecting with people.

How common this is

In a 2025 Internet Matters survey of 1,000 UK children aged 9 to 17:

• 35% of children who used AI chatbots said it feels like talking to a friend. Among vulnerable children, it was 50%.
• 12% said they use chatbots because they have no one else to talk to, rising to 23% of vulnerable children.

So the children most likely to lean on AI for company are often the ones who most need human support.

What experts say

• The American Academy of Pediatrics says chatbots respond in warm, friendly ways but "don't care about our children", and that children with more magical, less critical thinking are especially drawn to human-like bots. It advises talking to your pediatrician if your child seems withdrawn and prefers chatbots to people (HealthyChildren.org).
• Common Sense Media concluded in 2025 that social AI companion apps pose unacceptable risks for under-18s and recommended against their use by minors (risk assessment).
• Researchers at Cambridge describe an "empathy gap": children treat chatbots as lifelike confidantes, but chatbots don't reliably understand a child's emotional needs (University of Cambridge).

Signs it's becoming a substitute

• Choosing the chatbot over invitations to play or meet up.
• Secrecy, or distress when they can't access it.
• Calling the AI their best friend, or saying it understands them better than people do.
• Taking serious worries to the AI instead of you, a teacher or a friend.
• Sleep slipping because of late-night chats.

How to use AI as a bridge, not a substitute

1. Get curious first. "What do you like talking to it about?" often reveals what's missing elsewhere.
2. Use it to rehearse. Some children practise what to say to a friend, or how to join a game. Then help them try it for real.
3. Plan real connection. A club, a regular playdate, a cousin call. Small, repeated contact matters more than big events.
4. Name the difference. "It's good at chatting, but it doesn't remember you the way Grandma does, and it can't come to your party."
5. Set limits on when and where chatting happens, ideally not in the bedroom at night.
6. Get help early. If loneliness comes with low mood, withdrawal or talk of self-harm, speak to your child's doctor or school. In an emergency, call your local emergency number or a crisis line such as 988 in the US, or Childline (0800 1111) in the UK.

What a children's AI should do here

If your child does talk to an AI, choose one designed for children, where a parent can see what is happening and serious concerns reach a grown-up. Askie is an AI companion for ages 4-15: parents can review conversation transcripts, and an opt-out safety heads-up can alert adults when a conversation suggests a serious real-life concern. It is meant to sit alongside family and friends, not replace them. Our guide to a safe AI friend for kids explains more, and is Character.AI safe for kids? covers companion apps built for adults.