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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Thea Felicity

Teen Boys Turn to AI Girlfriends for 'Control' — Experts Say It Could Leave Boys 'Unable to Read a Room'

United States
Claude surges to #1 in US App Store, overtaking ChatGPT amid user backlash to OpenAI's Pentagon deal. (Credit: Sanket Mishra:Pexels)

Teen boys are increasingly turning to AI girlfriends for companionship in 2026, with researchers and academics warning that the trend may be reshaping social development and workplace readiness.

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