Regulator study Authoritative

Talking to machines: Children's experiences with AI assistants and companions

National survey report from Australia's eSafety Commissioner on children's use of AI assistants and companions, based on 1,950 children aged 10-17 surveyed in February-March 2026. Covers prevalence and frequency of use, functional versus personal/social uses, exposure to potentially harmful interactions, and sharing of personal data, with risk-reduction considerations for parents, educators, and industry.

Read at esafety.gov.au Archived copy

Publisher

Australia eSafety Commissioner

Published

3 Aug 2026

Added

2 months ago

DOI

—

Key Findings

78% of children in Australia had used an AI assistant and 8% had used an AI companion; 20% of users used them daily or more
54% of users reported personal or social uses, including advice about what to do in a situation (33%), physical-health advice (33%), chatting about feelings or challenges (22%), and mental-health or wellbeing advice (20%)
1 in 5 users (20%) had experienced potentially inappropriate or harmful interactions with these tools, and around 1 in 3 (32%) had shared personal or potentially sensitive information

Methodology Notes

Online survey of 1,950 children aged 10-17 living in Australia, fielded 2026-02-02 to 2026-03-04. Report published 2026-08-03 (report PDF dated August 2026); the landing page also references eSafety's October 2025 Basic Online Safety Expectations transparency notices to four AI companion providers. Primary site blocks automated clients; verified via a same-week Wayback snapshot of the report landing page (timestamp 2026-08-04).

Sources

eSafety Commissioner research page(opens in a new tab) (primary)

Full report PDF(opens in a new tab)

Archived snapshot (Wayback Machine)(opens in a new tab) — preserved against link rot

Topics

Minors' safety AI companionship Vulnerable users Industry landscape

Cite This

APA

Australia eSafety Commissioner. (2026). Talking to machines: Children's experiences with AI assistants and companions. https://www.esafety.gov.au/research/talking-to-machines-childrens-experiences-with-ai-assistants-and-companions