Nearly nine in 10 tweens and teens are now enlisting artificial intelligence for everything from algebra to awkward life questions, according to a new national survey out this week. The research, produced by a San Francisco nonprofit that tracks kids’ digital habits, is throwing fresh fuel on long-running debates around misinformation, privacy and how families and schools should step in.
According to Common Sense Media, 86 percent of children ages 9 to 17 said they had used AI. The organization surveyed 1,204 young people and found nearly a quarter use AI every day. The report also found that well over eight in 10 users rely on AI for entertainment or homework help.
The survey also shows many kids are turning to bots for surprisingly intimate topics. More than half of those who use AI have asked it about health or their bodies, and over a third have used AI to talk about feelings or personal problems. “AI is the most powerful and fastest-moving technology of our time, and the guardrails simply haven't caught up,” Common Sense Media founder and CEO James P. Steyer said in a statement to Common Sense Media.
AI As An Emotional First Stop
A separate, peer-reviewed study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that about 19.2 percent of adolescents and young adults reported using AI chatbots for mental health advice, and that most users did not disclose those conversations to family or clinicians. The JAMA authors noted that the figure had jumped sharply from prior years and highlighted disparities in which groups rely on chatbots most often.
Schools Are Talking Rules More Than Safety
Reporting from Education Week echoes the survey’s concerns. Three-quarters of kids say their school has told them what they can and cannot use AI for, but only about half say they have been taught how to judge whether AI output is accurate or how to use the tools safely. That mismatch leaves many families to handle context and fact-checking on their own, often with little guidance.
What Parents And Educators Can Do
Common Sense and partners have published family-friendly resources to help kick off those conversations. The interactive toolkit co-developed with Day of AI offers activities, scripts and a short video for parents and schools, according to Day of AI. At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance encouraging districts to consider privacy, equity and educator training when adopting AI, U.S. Department of Education says. Local outlets, including KTVU, picked up the new Common Sense findings this week.
Researchers and educators recommend starting with simple moves. Ask your child which tools they use, review AI outputs together, practice fact-checking, and set boundaries around when it is appropriate to lean on a chatbot for homework or emotional support. The studies make one thing plain: AI is already woven into kids’ everyday lives, and adults need to catch up with conversation, supervision and education.
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