A study of over 2,300 students across 22 US middle schools found two to four children per classroom now say they prefer chatbot interaction to human peers, with one in five using AI for emotionally intimate companionship. Researchers led by Mitch Prinstein found a troubling correlation: students who leaned more on AI for friendship reported higher loneliness later on. The findings add fresh data to growing concern from child psychologists and campaigners about AI companion apps and youth wellbeing.
