Better Internet for Kids

ChatGPT is the clear number one AI chatbot among young people  

Artificial intelligence has become part of young people's everyday lives: 94 per cent of 11- to 17-year-olds use AI chatbots. ChatGPT is by far the most popular application and is used by 90 per cent of respondents. Comparable chatbots such as Gemini from Google (23 per cent) or CoPilot from Microsoft (11 per cent) are significantly less popular. Just under a quarter (24 per cent    ) of respondents use ChatGPT daily, with older respondents (30 per cent) using it more than younger ones (18 per cent). Over 40 per cent say they use ChatGPT at least several times a week.  

School is the most important area of application for AI  

Young people see AI primarily as an important tool for school: almost three-quarters (73 per cent) use AI tools for school purposes and homework. AI tools are also used for searching and summarising information (47 per cent), explanations (34 per cent), formulating texts (27 per cent) and solving arithmetic problems (20 per cent), among other things.  

There are clear differences between genders and age groups (11 to 14 years and 15 to 17 years): female and older young people use AI more frequently in all areas of application. In the school sector, female young people (78 per cent) are 10 percentage points ahead of male young people (68 per cent). 

Young people regularly ask AI for information and advice  

AI tools are now a popular resource not only at school, but also in everyday life. More than half of young people (55 per cent) use AI frequently or occasionally to obtain information and advice on various areas of life, such as leisure activities, hobbies, health or relationships. Just under a third (31 per cent) use AI tools to discuss worries or problems. A quarter (26 per cent) use them to reduce stress or get rid of anger.  

Four out of ten respondents (40 per cent) often find it more helpful to ask an AI than a human being. Availability, i.e. the fact that AI chatbots respond anytime, anywhere, is the most important reason (59 per cent) for young people to use them. They also appreciate the time savings (43 per cent) and ease of use (39 per cent). 

Chatbots take on similar tasks to caregivers  

The increasing importance of AI in the emotional and interpersonal sphere is striking. Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of respondents use AI at least sometimes to have friendly conversations, and just under a fifth (19 per cent) even use it for romantic conversations. Around three in ten respondents believe that AI can be a kind of friend (29 per cent) and can offer comfort (28 per cent). Over a quarter (26 per cent) believe that young people could actually fall in love with a chatbot. This shows how attractive chatbots are to young people and how important they are in their everyday lives. The affirmative and agreeable communication style of AI chatbots plays an important role here. This often makes chatbots seem empathetic and convey apparent understanding. 

A quarter of young people (25 per cent) now say that they find it easier to talk to chatbots about personal issues than to humans. At the same time, they are well aware of the potential downsides of AI. "If you turn to AI for help with problems from an early age, you might find it harder to communicate with a real adult," said one participant from the focus groups. 

However, AI tools can also help prepare for and practise conversations with other people. Already 23 per cent of respondents make use of this at least sometimes. In the focus groups, young people describe how they use AI primarily to prepare for sensitive or conflict-laden conversations – for example, to talk to teachers about assessments they perceive as unfair, to talk to parents about poor grades, or to talk to friends or partners about conflicts in relationships. 

AI cannot replace human assistance and professional counselling

The majority of young people (57 per cent) believe that chatbots often give good advice. Nevertheless, almost one in five respondents (18 per cent) has felt uncomfortable because of an AI response, with male young people (23 per cent) perceiving this significantly more often than female young people (13 per cent). The focus groups reveal that unpleasant experiences arise, for example, when advice on dealing with people is perceived as manipulative or when responses tend to reinforce negative feelings rather than alleviate them.  

Risks are underestimated by young people  

Young people have a high level of trust in AI: more than half (52 per cent) rely on ChatGPT and other AI chatbots to provide accurate information. Four out of ten respondents (40 per cent) rarely or never check whether the results are actually correct.  

The majority of young people (56 per cent) are concerned that AI tools could potentially weaken their ability to think independently. "You kind of get lazy when you can ask about everything," said one young person in the focus groups. 

It is also worrying that 28 per cent of respondents believe that their inputs into AI chatbots are confidential and cannot be viewed or used by anyone else. Almost half (48 per cent) assume that other young people share personal data with AI systems. More than a quarter (28 per cent) even entrust AI chatbots with intimate content.  

Positive attitude towards AI prevails  

Overall, young people have a predominantly positive or neutral attitude towards artificial intelligence – both in terms of its benefits for society and for themselves personally. More than half (55 per cent) see AI primarily as an opportunity for themselves (as a threat: 7 per cent, partly: 31 per cent). This means they view AI more positively for themselves than for society as a whole (as an opportunity: 42 per cent, as a threat: 15 per cent, partly: 35 per cent). 

Clear demand for more education on dealing with AI  

Young people want more guidance on how to deal with artificial intelligence – the survey clearly shows this: more than half of those surveyed (53 per cent) would like to better understand how AI actually works. In fact, almost half of young people (48 per cent) have never had the functioning of AI systems explained to them in an age-appropriate way. 

Young people also have a clear position on the issue of age limits: more than half (53 per cent) are in favour of age restrictions on the use of AI chatbots. Most young people (39 per cent) consider an age limit of 14 to be reasonable.  

When it comes to learning skills for dealing with AI, young people see the education system as primarily responsible. Two-thirds (66 per cent) expect support from school, while one-third (33 per cent) expect support from their parents. The results make it clear that young people want not only rules, but above all a sound education so that they can use AI safely and responsibly.

View and download the infographic "AI chatbots as everyday companions for young people", summarising the main findings and data from the study: PDF, PNG. 

About the study  

The study "AI chatbots as everyday companions for young people" was conducted by the Institute for Youth Culture Research and Cultural Education on behalf of the Austrian Institute for Applied Telecommunications (ÖIAT) and ISPA – Internet Service Providers Austria as part of the EU initiative Saferinternet.at. During the survey period (October/November 2025), 500 young people aged between 11 and 17 took part, representing a cross-section of the population in terms of age, gender and educational background. In addition, two focus groups were held in youth centres with a total of 14 young people aged between 12 and 15.

Find more information about the work of the Austrian Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline, and youth participation services, or find similar information for other Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe. 

This article was originally published on the website of the Austrian Safer internet Centre and is replicated here with permission. Read the original article here.