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LiveScience
LiveScience
Liz Spry

How AI companions are changing teenagers' behavior in surprising and sinister ways

United States
A photo of a person holding up their phone with a Replika AI companion on the screen.

Teenagers are increasingly turning to AI companions for friendship, support, and even romance. But these apps could be changing how young people connect to others, both online and off.

New research by Common Sense Media, a US-based non-profit organisation that reviews various media and technologies, has found about three in four US teens have used AI companion apps such as Character.ai or Replika.ai.

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