One in three young people now turns to AI for friendship

AI is stepping in as a friend. One in three young people is now using an AI companion — an AI partner that converses and connects emotionally with users — according to the RELATE Project 2026, a survey of more than 7,100 teenagers and young adults across 11 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Mexico, India and Nigeria, conducted by Young Life, a Christian youth ministry.

The survey found that the average number of close relationships per young person fell to 4.4 in 2025, down from 5.3 in 2023, and that they had only about two people with whom they could discuss important topics.

AI companion use was especially common among younger age groups, reaching 45 percent among 13- to 15-year-olds compared with 35 percent overall. Sixty percent of users said they found it easier to open up about their problems to AI than to friends or family.

Forty percent of respondents were not sure they had an adult who would take their stories seriously, and 73 percent cited confidentiality as the most important factor in building trust with such an adult. President and CEO Newt Crenshaw said, "Young people are constantly connected online, yet they crave genuine face-to-face community. They are not looking for a perfect screen but for trustworthy, consistent adults."

Meanwhile, 64 percent of young people said they still prefer face-to-face communication with friends — a 10-percentage-point increase from 2023 — showing that, even as AI use spreads, the desire for in-person relationships is growing.