292 - “My Boyfriend Is AI”: An Analysis of Trends in AI Companionship Usage

Publication Number: 3281.292

Talya Bagim, Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY, United States; Caroline Howard, Northwell Health, New York, NY, United States; Joseph Mekhail, Northwell Health, New York, NY, United States; Lillian M. Ravikoff, Northwell Health, Bronx, NY, United States; Ruth Milanaik, Northwell Health, Great Neck, NY, United States

Background: AI companions (AICs) are digital chatbots used to simulate human interaction and build connections with users as young as 13. Conversations with AICs range from platonic to romantic and evolve to match the conversational style of the user through machine learning. AICs are typically modeled after popular characters in media (anime, video games, TV shows) but are also used to imitate "real" human relationships (dating, friendship). The most popular AIC boasts 854 million chats. According to some estimates, this technology is utilized by 72% of U.S. teens. To date, no study has examined the impact of AICs on pediatric social and mental health.

Objective: To analyze social media posts about AIC use to better understand the impact of AICs on pediatric health.

Design/Methods: 99 TikToks with the tag "AI Companionship" or "Character AI" were collected (Figure 1). Views, likes, age group (adolescent, young adult), gender, and conversation type (platonic, romantic) were recorded from each post. Thematic content analysis identified the following themes: AIC preoccupation, sexual content, failed attempts to quit, and jeopardized social opportunities (relationship loss, missing school, employment risks). Chi-square tests of independence were conducted to evaluate the association between themes and conversation type.

Results: Across all posts, 88% indicated preoccupation with AICs, 23% mentioned sexual content, 15% reported failed attempts to quit, and 36% indicated jeopardized social opportunities. 83% of posts came from adolescents and 17% from young adults; there were no videos from users in other age groups. Adolescent users displayed an increase in jeopardized social opportunities (78%) and sexual content (26%) compared to young adults (22% and 12%) (Figure 2). 31% of posts involved platonic AIC conversations, and 68% involved romantic conversations. Chi-square analyses revealed associations between platonic conversations and jeopardized social opportunities (p <.001) and associations between romantic conversations and mention of sexual content (p <.001) (Figure 3). Females contributed to 92% of posts.

Conclusion(s): Adolescents reported sexual engagement with AICs at alarming rates. Age limits must be enforced, and the inappropriate content filter currently in place must be harder to bypass to ensure the safety of minors. Using AICs for platonic relationships may be a detriment to real-world social interaction, leading to an increase in school absences, employment risks, and withdrawing from friendships. Parents and clinicians should be aware of a child's interactions with AICs and monitor for social consequences.

Example of Conversation with AI Companion Found on TikTok


Percentage of Sexual Content and Social Fallout by Age Group
Adolescent users displayed an increase in jeopardized social opportunities (78%) and sexual content (26%) compared to young adults (22% and 12%)

Association Between Content Themes and Conversation Types
Chi-square analyses revealed associations between platonic conversations and jeopardized social opportunities (p <.001) and associations between romantic conversations and mention of sexual content (p <.001).