The RELATE Project 2026: Connecting with the Next Generation (Executive Summary)

Key Findings

• — 35% of the sampled 13-to-24-year-olds report having an AI companion; 45% of 13-to-15-year-olds against 29% of 22-to-24-year-olds, and 38% of males against 32% of females.
• — 60% of those with an AI companion strongly or somewhat agree they are more comfortable with it than with some of their friends or family.
• — One in ten of all adolescents surveyed cope with stress by talking with their AI companion; 35% report a lot or a great deal of stress regularly.
• — The summary interprets AI as functioning for this generation as a low-risk relational substitute or supplement alongside a reported decline in the number of close relationships since the 2023 wave.
• — Fieldwork: 7,105 online survey respondents in 11 countries, November 2025 to January 2026, plus 22 focus groups (97 participants, mostly Young Life volunteers or staff).

Methodology Notes

Online survey of 7,105 respondents aged 13 to 24 across 11 countries (countries not listed in the executive summary), November 2025 to January 2026, with 22 follow-up focus groups drawn largely from the sponsoring ministry's volunteers and staff. The sampling frame, weighting and the definition of 'AI companion' put to respondents are not stated in the 11-page executive summary; the full report is gated behind a form and was not obtained, which is why the source is graded preliminary. Release dated 2026-09-10 per press coverage; the executive summary PDF was created 2026-09-04 and is served from the project site. The sponsor is a Christian youth organisation and the survey also covers faith practices. The project site (relate.younglife.org) links the executive summary; the full report is form-gated.

Sources