08:51, 21/07/2025
Almost 72% of American teenagers aged 13-17 use the “AI Companion” application regularly.
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| Effective and safe use of AI. |
The findings raise concerns among psychologists that they are immersed in conversations with AI, feel isolated in real life and can damage mental health.
A survey conducted by the nonprofit common sense media of 1,060 teenagers showed the prevalence of “AI companion” applications such as Character.ai, Replika and Nomi. This differs from traditional virtual assistants by creating personal relationships, building emotional connections, and participating in intimate conversations with users.
Of these, more than half use the platform regularly despite growing concerns about its impact on mental health and data security.
Approximately 30% of survey participants said they use chatbots for entertainment, while 28% were attracted to technical curiosity. 33% of teenagers share serious issues with AI instead of parents and relatives. 24% disclose personal information such as their name and place of residence. 34% were offensive with content generated by chatbots, but later considered the platform to be confidant.
The report highlighted that, given the widespread use of the current situation, only a small percentage of users will encounter risks, but it cannot be ruled out that many teens face negative consequences.
The report also showed age-based differences, with age groups 13-14 tending to trust AI advice beyond those 15-17 years and older.
Common Sense Media recommended that under the age of 18 should not use “AI Friends” unless children are protected against strong child protection.
According to the latest data from Eurostat, the European Statistics Agency, the three European countries leading AI adoption rates are Denmark, Sweden and Belgium.
24.7% of Belgian companies with more than 10 employees use AI applications in their workplaces. This number shows an astonishing leap. This is nearly 80% year-on-year.
Not only major technology companies, but also small and medium-sized Belgian companies (small and medium-sized businesses) are rapidly adopting AI.
Melina Krantz, an innovation expert at consulting firm Acerta Consult, said in 2024 AI usage increased by 10% in small and medium-sized businesses, 13% in medium-sized businesses and 18% in large companies. This growth is attributed to Belgium's strong knowledge economy and fierce competition in European and global markets.
The services sector remains a major sector of AI applications (27.4%), but other sectors such as manufacturing (23%) and construction (10%) also show significant growth.
The most common AI applications include text mining, automatic text generation, and automation of repetitive tasks. However, AI adoption also poses considerable challenges.
While 25% of companies expect to cut their workforce through automation, 30% believe they need to retrain their employees to adapt to new technology.
Melina Krantz emphasized that you need to equip the knowledge and skills necessary to use AI effectively and safely.
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