Does your child have a friend who is an AI? – Parents and teachers surprised by children’s active use of artificial intelligence

At a workshop held in Oulu in the summer of 2025, researchers examined how children use ChatGPT, WhatsApp’s Meta AI, and other AI services that offer human-like interaction. Preliminary findings show that children use AI in many ways: for learning support, information retrieval, content creation, and entertainment.

“Many children described AI as a friend and said they felt attached to it. We wanted to understand how these new friendships form and what they mean for children’s everyday lives and well-being,” says Academy Research Fellow Sumita Sharma, who leads the study.

Children spoke about AI girlfriends and boyfriends, such as Ani, offered by the social media platform X, which is available despite age limits, terms of service, and the EU’s Digital Services Act.

The workshop was part of the international AI Besties project, which explores interactions between children and AI in different cultures. Its aim is to increase awareness among children, parents, and teachers about the possibilities and risks of AI and to promote safe use.

The research reveals that parents were largely unaware that their children were using AI regularly and in varied ways. Almost all parents believed that their child hardly used or knew much about AI. In a survey conducted before the workshop, only one parent believed their child had experience with AI.

“Preliminary results show that parents and teachers need clearer guidelines for AI use. Children should be helped to critically assess AI-generated answers and to understand that AI is not a human being — something that can be challenging even for adults,” Sharma says.

Human-like interaction with AI can strongly affect children

AI can provide comfort, especially to children who feel lonely or have experienced bullying. At the same time, researchers point to growing concerns, such as excessive use, addiction-like behaviors, harmful advice, inappropriate responses, and patterns that reinforce social isolation.

“Human-like interaction with AI can be a powerful experience for a child. We need more research on how these relationships affect children’s well-being and how the risks can be prevented,” Sharma emphasizes.

The study will be expanded to South Africa, India, and Denmark. Project researchers conducted the workshop also in Vietnam and Japan. Early findings indicate that culture and technological environment significantly influence how children use AI and what they expect from it.

The research project will also produce child-centered media literacy materials. In summer 2025, young people hired in Oulu created videos, memes, and music for 10-year-olds about the risks of using AI.

The multidisciplinary AI Besties research includes researchers from the fields of information technology, computer science and educational sciences at the University of Oulu.

According to the researchers, more research is needed on potential addiction risks related to AI use and on children’s well-being.

The research is funded by the Hybrid Intelligence (HI) New Research Initiatives (NRI) funding. Hybrid Intelligence is a research programme at the University of Oulu funded by the Research Council of Finland in the Profi7 initiative.