Faced with bullying, some children are now seeking support from artificial intelligence. According to a survey of 6- to 18-year-olds, one in four victims says they have turned to AI for help, and most of those who did found it useful. This recourse can offer a first space to talk, but psychologists warn of the risk that it may replace conversations with adults and reinforce isolation.
Artificial intelligence tools are no longer used solely to look up information or complete schoolwork. For some young people facing bullying, they have also become someone to turn to with a concern that may be difficult to share with a parent, teacher, or another trusted adult.
The trend emerges from a survey by Caisse d’Épargne and the e-Enfance association on bullying and cyberbullying among young people aged 6 to 18. Among the children surveyed who had been victims, around one in four said they had turned to artificial intelligence for help. Of those who had tried this, 83% felt it had been useful.
This finding highlights the growing role these tools play in young people’s daily lives, as well as the place they can occupy when it is difficult to speak up. A conversation with AI may seem less intimidating than a face-to-face discussion: a child can write at their own pace, choose what they want to share, and start with a few words rather than revealing the whole situation at once.
A first space to talk, sometimes easier to approach
Psychologists say that children they see in consultations have already turned to AI to talk about difficulties they face at school. For example, they may write that they are not doing well because a classmate has been bothering them again. The tool can then respond with reassuring words and remind the child that they are not responsible for what is being done to them.
The perceived discretion plays an important role. Some young people hesitate to talk about bullying because they fear their confidence will be repeated, or because they worry about how adults will react. AI can therefore seem accessible, available, and less exposing. It also allows them to express themselves gradually, without having to explain everything from the outset.
This development is taking place in a context where AI is becoming part of various activities in young people’s lives, particularly at school. Another article on its use for homework reports that many parents accept their children using it for schoolwork. The familiarity gained with these tools may lead some to think of them as someone to turn to when facing a personal difficulty, too.
A trend observed from the earliest school years
Turning to artificial intelligence is not limited to teenagers. The survey data show that this practice begins in primary school: children who are victims of bullying, including some of the youngest, seek solutions from a conversational tool.
For child welfare professionals, this reality prompts questions about how young people view the adults available to them. If a child would rather start by talking to a machine, it does not necessarily mean they are rejecting the people close to them. However, it may reveal apprehension, a need to stay in control of what they share, or a fear that confiding in someone will immediately trigger decisions they cannot control.
On learning that a child is being bullied, a parent may want to act straight away: contact the school, ask for an explanation, or report what has happened. This response may come from a desire to protect, but it can also seem difficult for the child to anticipate. By contrast, a conversation with AI gives them the impression that they can proceed step by step, without automatically triggering outside intervention.
When digital listening risks becoming a dead end
This initial opportunity to talk can be valuable, but it has a limitation: artificial intelligence cannot replace a human relationship. A tool can offer an encouraging response, but it may not know the full context, cannot reliably assess the seriousness of the situation, and cannot take concrete action to protect the child at school or online.
A psychologist also warns of the risk of becoming trapped in a negative perception of oneself. If a child interacts only with a tool and never discusses their concerns with an adult who can support them, they may remain alone with their interpretations and emotions. This is how the response can become “limiting”: it opens a door, but should not be the only way forward.
The survey indicates that children who confide in AI talk about their situation with their parents less often. This finding alone does not establish that AI is the cause of this distance. However, it highlights the need for attentive support: adults must be able to hear what young people are going through without minimizing what they say or taking away all control over what happens next.
The expected role of artificial intelligence tools
How AI responds to disclosures is therefore a key issue. It can offer an initial listening ear and encourage a young person not to blame themselves, but it should also recognize situations that require human help. Yet, according to the information reported in the survey, AI refers users to another person in only a small proportion of the exchanges discussed, around 4.5% of cases.
An appropriate referral involves more than simply ending the conversation. It means directing the child to a trusted adult, a professional, or a service able to intervene, while helping them take that step. When there is repeated bullying, threats, or immediate danger, an automated response cannot replace the assessment and action of a responsible person.
Debates about the role of AI extend beyond the school or family setting. Questions of responsibility, oversight, and how these systems work are also addressed in public and institutional forums, as this article on a hearing featuring a former Anthropic researcher on artificial intelligence shows. For young people, these issues translate very concretely into the quality of the responses they receive when they talk about a vulnerable situation.
Offering support without closing the door to disclosure
Adults can help by first letting the child tell what happened at their own pace. The goal is to help them understand that they will be heard and supported, without making them feel responsible for the bullying or immediately imposing a decision on them. Asking open-ended questions, finding out what would help them feel safe, and agreeing together on the next steps can make it easier to resume the conversation.
It is also useful to talk with young people about the limitations of AI-generated responses. A conversational tool can sometimes be wrong, give unsuitable advice, or fail to understand how serious a situation is. Explaining that it can help put a problem into words, but cannot protect the child or replace a professional, makes it possible to acknowledge its use without confusing it with genuine support.
Artificial intelligence is also used in many different fields, from artistic creation to information retrieval. An experiment combining art and technology is presented in this article on artist Ridha Rhib’s work at the intersection of creativity and AI. This range of uses is a reminder that the same tools can be seen either as practical instruments or as conversation partners, depending on the needs of the person using them.
For children who are victims of bullying, the challenge is to ensure that this first digital disclosure can open a path to real support rather than replace it. The responses offered by these tools, the presence of attentive adults, and the possibility of obtaining appropriate help all shape how young people can emerge from isolation. Broader discussions about the role of AI in the transformations to come or its effects on the world of investment also show just how widespread its uses are becoming, with specific implications in every context.
