A third of young people now use an AI companion, according to new research from the RELATE Project 2026, conducted by the Christian youth ministry Young Life. The survey of more than 7,100 teenagers and young adults across 11 countries found that 35 per cent reported using an AI companion, rising to 45 per cent among those aged 13 to 15.
The study also found that young people are growing less connected to others. In 2025 the average young person reported 4.4 close relationships, down from 5.3 in 2023. On average, respondents said they had only two people in their lives they trusted to discuss the subjects that mattered most to them.
Around 40 per cent of respondents said they were not fully confident that there was a single adult in their life with a genuine interest in listening to them. Of those surveyed, 73 per cent said confidentiality was the most important factor in building trust with such an adult. One participant said: « Without confidentiality, people will shut down and go back to not talking about feelings. »
Dr Kimberly Nollan, Director of Research and Practice at Young Life, said adults needed to show they were safe to talk to. « This starts with proving we are safe enough to listen – protecting their confidentiality and offering space for them without immediately trying to offer advice or judgement, » she said.
The research linked close relationships to resilience against hardship. In the earlier RELATE 2024 study, four in 10 young people said they were not confident they were worthy of being loved. In RELATE 2026, 62 per cent of Gen Z and Alpha respondents rated their worthiness of being loved at eight, nine or ten out of ten, leaving nearly four in 10 reporting lower certainty. Respondents without a religious faith affiliation appeared particularly vulnerable, with only half reporting confidence that they were worthy of being loved.
Most young people still prefer face-to-face communication with friends, at 64 per cent, up 10 points from 2023. Even so, 60 per cent of those who use an AI companion said they felt more comfortable sharing their problems with AI than with friends and family in person.
Newt Crenshaw, President and CEO of Young Life, said the findings showed young people were seeking connection rather than screens. « The RELATE Project tells us that while young people are constantly connected online, they are craving authentic, in-person community, » he said. « They are looking for trusted, consistent adults who will step into their worlds, earn and keep their trust, and simply be there to listen. »
The survey also covered five African countries, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Liberia and Ethiopia, where millions of young people are coming online as digital services expand. One Zimbabwean male participant described being someone others turned to in difficult moments, while receiving little support himself. He said that after training his AI system to respond in ways he found useful, he sometimes turned to it at his lowest to hold deep conversations and work through problems.