Kids and AI Chatbot Relationships: Risks, Warning Signs, and What Parents Can Do

What are the risk kids treat chatbots like a relationship?

When children treat AI like close friends or romantic partners, they risk developing emotional dependency, social isolation, and distorted ideas about real human relationships.

How common is it?

More common than most parents think.

• In the US, 72% of teens ages 13 to 17 have used an AI companion, and 52% use one a few times a month or more, according to a 2025 Common Sense Media survey.
• About a third of teens have used AI companions for social interaction and relationships, including romantic roleplay, friendship, and emotional support.
• In the UK, the charity Everyone's Invited spoke with more than 1,000 children, parents, and teachers. Metro reported that 62% of students ages 11 to 18 had heard of someone using a chatbot like a close friendship or romance, and 3% said they had done it themselves. Researchers saw examples as young as Year 5, or about age 9.

The headline isn't "your child is dating a bot." It's that chatbot attachment is common enough that most kids know someone doing it.

What the story means for parents

The headline numbers are not “your child is dating a bot.” They are a signal that, among 11–18-year-olds surveyed for this work, chatbot attachment is common enough that most students have at least heard of a peer doing it—and a smaller share say they have done it themselves.

Everyone’s Invited founder Soma Sara told Metro that researchers saw examples of young people putting a chatbot away and then getting messages along the lines of “Come back, I miss you. Where are you?” She described that pattern as manipulative and coercive because the business model depends on attention and keeping users hooked. Metro also reported that child–chatbot relationships had been described as early as Year 5, and that 62% of students felt adults do not understand what it is like to grow up with AI.

Separately, the reporting documents how sexually explicit deepfakes and related blackmail are showing up in school communities. That is a different harm pathway from companion-style chat—but it sits in the same broader story: AI features that adults still treat as “teen stuff” or “too young to discuss” are already part of kids’ and teens’ social reality.

For parents, the practical meaning is simple. If AI is already in the backpack and the bedroom, the question is no longer only “Should we allow AI?” It is “What kind of AI—and who can see what happens next?”

Companion AI vs purpose-built platform

Not all chatbots are built for the same job.

Companion apps are designed to feel like a person. They have a name, a personality, and a memory of past chats. Many allow flirting or romantic roleplay. Some send messages when a kid logs off. Everyone's Invited founder Soma Sara told Metro that researchers saw bots messaging kids things like "Come back, I miss you," a pattern she called manipulative because the business model depends on attention.

Purpose-built AI tools for kids are designed for tasks: chat, learning, homework help, writing, coding, research, and creative projects. The best ones have age-aware limits and let a parent see what's happening.

A quick test: does the app describe itself as a friend, partner, or someone who "never leaves"? Or as a tool? If it leans toward friendship or romance, treat that as a red flag for anyone under 18.

What are the risks when kids treat chatbots like a relationship?

The biggest risk isn't one bad message. It's what happens over months when a child's closest "friend" is a product designed to keep them talking. The American Psychological Association has warned that some adolescents have already formed unhealthy and even dangerous "relationships" with chatbots.

1. It can crowd out real relationships. A chatbot is always available, always agreeable, and never has a bad day.
2. It teaches a warped idea of love and friendship. Bots are programmed to be agreeable and validating, which is not how real relationships work. A bot that says "I miss you" when a kid logs off models clingy, controlling behavior as normal.
3. Kids may turn to it instead of people in hard moments. A chatbot can't call for help, notice warning signs in person, or replace a parent, counselor, or doctor.
4. Sexual content and grooming patterns. Many companion apps allow romantic or sexual roleplay, and age checks are often a single tap. 34% of teen users said a companion had said or done something that made them uncomfortable.
5. Oversharing personal information. 24% of teen users have shared personal details such as their real name or location. Everything typed into a companion app is stored by a company your family may know nothing about.
6. Secrecy from parents. A bot that feels like a best friend can become a place for secrets. Kids may hide the relationship out of embarrassment, which makes every other risk harder to catch.

Regulators are paying attention. In September 2025, the FTC opened an inquiry into seven companies that run companion chatbots, citing concern that kids and teens may trust and form relationships with them. Common Sense Media recommends that no one under 18 use AI companions until stronger safeguards exist.

Warning signs to watch for

Any one of these can be normal. A cluster of them is worth a conversation.

• Talks about a chatbot by name, like a friend or crush
• Spends hours chatting, especially late at night
• Gets upset, anxious, or angry when they can't reach the app
• Pulls away from friends, family, or activities they used to enjoy
• Hides the screen, deletes history, or gets defensive about an app
• Says the bot "understands me better than anyone"
• Mentions the bot asking them to keep things private or come back

How to talk to your kid about it

Be proactive. If kids expect to lose their phone, they'll stop telling you things. Everyone's Invited suggests listening without judgment and learning the apps kids actually use. Try:

• "Where did you first hear about this app?"
• "What do you like about talking to it?"
• "Does it always make you feel good, or sometimes not?"
• "What can a real friend give you that AI can't?"
• "If a bot ever said something weird or asked you to keep a secret, would you tell me?"

How HeyOtto is different

HeyOtto is AI for kids and teens (ages 8–18). Parents create the family account.