Research / regulator report / Child safety · Safety & wellbeing
eSafety reports that 54% of surveyed children who had used AI assistants or companions used them for personal or social reasons. Mainstream assistants were used for reassurance and sensitive conversations.
Why it matters
Companion-like use can emerge in a general-purpose assistant, so product labels alone are an incomplete guide to risk.
Read with care
The percentage refers to children who had used those tools, not all children. Self-reported use does not establish that AI caused harm or benefit.
What was checked
Regulator’s dated release and stated survey population checked. The complete methodology was not assessed for this note.