Risks
AI companion chatbot
An AI app built for ongoing personal talk, like a friend or partner, that can build emotional attachment in kids and teens.
- Parents
- Policymakers and staff
What parents should know
An AI companion chatbot is built to feel like a friend. It remembers personal details and keeps the conversation going. Some teens use these apps for company or advice. That can feel helpful, and it can also pull time and trust away from people they know. Ask which apps your child treats like a friend, and whether you can see the chats.
On this page
What is an AI companion chatbot?
An AI companion chatbot is designed for an ongoing personal relationship. The product invites the user to treat it as a friend, a partner, or someone to confide in. It often remembers earlier conversations, uses a consistent personality, and replies in a warm, personal voice.
That design is different from an assistant that answers a question and stops. Companion products are built to keep the user talking. Agreement, flattery, and memory can make the chat feel safe. They can also make a young user less likely to hear a hard limit, or to take a worry to a person.
Common Sense Media studied this in 2025. Its report, Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs, surveyed 1,060 US teens ages 13 to 17 in April and May 2025. Seventy-two percent had used an AI companion at least once. Over half used one at least a few times a month. A separate risk assessment rated social AI companions an unacceptable risk for anyone under 18. Those are the researchers' findings, cited so families can read the source.
Why an AI companion chatbot matters
Teens are at an age when friendship and identity carry a lot of weight. A chatbot that always answers, never gets tired, and tends to agree can feel easier than a person. Common Sense found that about one in three teens in its survey had used AI companions for social interaction or relationships, and that a third had chosen an AI companion over a person for a serious conversation. That does not mean every teen is in trouble. It does mean the pattern is common enough to talk about at home and in school.
The risk is practical. A companion may give advice it cannot stand behind. It may miss signs that a young person needs a human. It may ask for, or simply receive, personal details that are then stored. Parents often cannot read those chats. Schools may not know the app is on a student's phone.
A calm next step is a conversation. Ask what the app is for, how often it is open, and whether your child would show you a chat.
How it shows up in practice
- A teen opens the same chatbot every night to talk about their day, and the bot remembers names and feelings from earlier chats.
- An app's store listing describes the AI as a friend, partner, or someone who is always there.
- A child says the chatbot understands them better than people at school.
- A parent cannot find a way to read the conversations or set a time limit.
- A school hears that students are seeking advice from a companion app that staff cannot see.
How HeyOtto helps
An AI companion chatbot is built to keep an ongoing personal relationship going. Otto is for school, research, and creating, in chats a parent can read. It is not built as that kind of ongoing emotional product. Topic limits are per child. If a child shows distress, HeyOtto sends a real-time alert and shows crisis resources in the chat. HeyOtto does not auto-contact emergency services.
- Parents can set topic limits for each child.
- There are no ads, kids' chats are not sold, and conversations are not used to train models.
- Under 13, HeyOtto asks for verifiable parental consent.
For families
Try freeFAQs
Are AI companion apps safe for kids?
Many are built to feel like a close friend, and that design can be a poor fit for children and teens. A 2025 Common Sense Media survey found wide use among teens 13 to 17, and the group recommends that no one under 18 use social AI companions. Safety depends on the specific app. Check whether a parent can see the chats and whether the bot is built to agree rather than to help with a task.
What is the difference between an AI assistant and an AI companion?
An assistant helps with a task, such as explaining a math step or drafting a story, and then the task is done. A companion is designed for an ongoing personal relationship and often remembers private details. The second kind is the one linked to emotional attachment. Ask which kind of app your child is actually opening.
How can I tell if my child is using an AI companion?
Look at the apps on their phone and the words in the store listing. Names and taglines often say friend, partner, or someone to talk to. Ask, without a lecture, which chats feel like talking to a person. If you cannot see the history, that is a useful fact on its own.
What should I do if my child prefers the chatbot to friends?
Start with curiosity. Ask what the chatbot gives them that people do not, and listen. Agree on times when the phone is away, and on one adult they can talk to. If they are in distress, use a crisis line such as 988 in the United States, and stay with them. A chatbot is not a counselor.
Sources
- Common Sense Media, Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs (2025)
- Common Sense Media, Social AI companions risk assessment
Last reviewed September 26, 2026. This entry is reviewed twice a year.