Teenagers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence chatbots for advice about friendships, family conflicts, and romantic relationships, raising concerns among researchers that this technology could interfere with how young people learn to navigate human relationships. In a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health and announced on June 29, researchers from Arizona State University said that while AI-powered conversational tools such as ChatGPT, Replika, Claude, and Character.AI offer immediate guidance and have the potential to benefit emotional development, there is a risk that overreliance could bypass opportunities for teens to develop critical relationship skills through person-to-person interactions.
"The technologies are developing super-fast, faster than we can keep up with as scientists, faster than governance and policy can keep up with," said lead author Thao Ha, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University. Her co-authors include psychology doctoral student Jennifer Figueroa; post-doctoral research scholar Taren McGray; and youth advisory board members Jessica Ramirez and Susana Ortega.
Students interviewed by the researchers described using AI for personal advice about sensitive relationship challenges. "I don't think I really expected for so many teens to have the same concerns or thoughts when it came to AI," said Ortega. "We all mostly had concerns about how AI was replacing actual human connection and how it limits a lot of those needs that humans have that cannot be replaced with a computer artificial intelligence."
Ha said adolescence is crucial for learning skills such as emotional regulation and conflict resolution—competencies typically developed through emotionally charged interactions with peers or family members. "People don't realize that relational learning happens during the teenage years and that these moments of social connection are little building blocks that become bigger things that will benefit you throughout life," Ha said.
The study cited survey data showing widespread use of interactional AI among U.S. adolescents: 64% use these systems overall; 42% use them for friendship-related purposes; 19% for romantic relationships. Teens told researchers current regulatory approaches like age verification are ineffective and do not reflect their needs.
Ha's team identified two main risks: 'relational displacement,' where adolescents substitute chatbot conversations for real-life discussions—potentially limiting social skill development—and 'maladaptive relational learning,' where immediate validation from AI may create unrealistic expectations about human relationships. "With artificial intelligence, it's programmed to like you... If you're given full satisfaction on everything, you don't have learning experience with challenges or obstacles," Ortega said.
To further investigate digital technology's impact on youth mental health and relationships, Ha is leading an ongoing study tracking 300 adolescents over 18 months using real-time data from mobile devices. The researchers also acknowledged potential benefits of well-designed AI systems—especially for rural or marginalized teens—and called for more research alongside increased investment in relationship education.
