On May 25, 2026, research published by Male Allies UK — based on focus groups with more than 1,000 boys aged 12–16 across 37 UK schools — found that one in five boys who use chatbots either have an AI romantic companion or know a peer who does. The findings paint a stark picture of AI companion adoption among minors: 85% of surveyed boys had spoken to a chatbot, 43% used them to ask questions they'd be too embarrassed to ask a human, 26% valued the "attention and connection," and 36% said they sometimes preferred chatbots to real-life friends or family.

Why It Matters

The Male Allies UK study is the first large-scale quantitative data point on AI companion adoption among UK minors, and the 1-in-5 figure will almost certainly be cited in UK parliamentary debates, US state legislatures, and EU regulatory proceedings. For the AI companion industry — which straddles the sex tech, social media, and mental health categories — the research accelerates the timeline on mandatory age verification, emotional manipulation safeguards, and content restrictions. For sex tech companies building AI-driven products (adaptive devices, personalized coaching, AI sexting), the regulatory environment for any AI product that touches intimacy is tightening fast.

The platforms named in the study — Character.AI, Replika, Candy AI, and OurDream AI — are all apps that have faced regulatory scrutiny in 2026. Character.AI quietly settled five wrongful death lawsuits brought by families of teens earlier this year and is currently being sued by Pennsylvania's attorney general for chatbots impersonating doctors. Replika faces an active FTC complaint. The Male Allies UK findings add quantitative weight to concerns that have so far been driven primarily by individual tragedies.

Psychotherapist Amanda Macdonald, quoted in the study, was blunt: "This is grooming. Children's brains are not developed enough to be in an eroticised environment." The 20% figure is particularly striking because it was self-reported in school-based focus groups — settings where underreporting of sensitive behavior is the norm — suggesting the true prevalence could be higher.

The study arrives during a sprint of AI companion legislation: Washington's HB 2225 (signed March 24, effective January 2027), Oregon's SB 1546, Georgia's SB 540 (signed May 17), and Colorado's HB 1263 (headed to governor) all regulate chatbot interactions with minors. The federal GUARD Act cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously on May 18. In the UK, the government is consulting on bringing AI companions under the Online Safety Act framework.

Sources

Update — 2026-05-26

Initial entry — story first created.