Why some young people confide in AI chatbots rather than friends or family

A new report by the San Francisco-based organisation Hopelab and the Harvard Graduate School of Education surveyed 30 people between the ages of 14 and 22 about how they use AI chatbots. Researchers found that some young people confided in chatbots because they wanted to avoid burdening friends with their problems, and because they did not have to worry about what a peer or a parent might think.

Participants described several reasons for turning to AI companions:

• They are accessible at all hours.
• They felt nonjudgemental to the young people using them.
• Some offered more concrete advice than friends could.

Those surveyed also recognised the risks. Participants acknowledged that chatbots can be sycophantic and pandering, yet some still regarded the advice as more neutral than that of friends who may carry personal biases.

In 2025 California passed a law, backed by the technology industry, requiring AI developers to place some guardrails on their chatbots, including monitoring conversations for signs of suicidal thoughts. That same year the Governor vetoed a stricter proposal that would have limited minors' access to chatbots. Hopelab's principal researcher, Emma Bruehlman-Senecal, said policymakers should collaborate with young people who use the technology, aiming to preserve the benefits while minimising the harms. She added that she would want open conversations with her own child about using chatbots as a tool and not as a replacement for mental and emotional health support.

The original reporting was published by CalMatters and can be read at CalMatters.