88% Indian School Students Are Now Turning to AI for Emotional Support, Says Web Survey

A shocking new survey finds Artificial Intelligence to have become the confidant of young Indians, especially school-going students facing stress or any anxiety. According to the survey titled “Are You There, AI?” conducted by Youth Ki Awaaz (YKA) and Youth Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) in June 2025 notes that 88 percent of respondents between the ages of 13 and 18 now seek the assistance of AI assistants such as ChatGPT when overwhelmed.

Teens have more faith in inaccurate AI than ever before

This challenge is characteristic of most teenagers. More than half (57%) of the 506 sampled youths confessed to not only using AI as an aid to studying or as a productivity tool, but also as a means of emotional support - sharing feelings, seeking guidance, or at least using AI due to feelings of loneliness. 

AI can provide what a human interaction may fail to provide:

1. Consistently present: Unlike parents or friends who are too busy and unavailable enough, AI is on 24/7.
2. Non-judgmental: Students also claim that they are able to express themselves freely without necessarily fearing gossip and prejudice.
3. Flexible: AI can serve as a form of empathetic guidance, helpful information or simply a companion in the middle of the night and is therefore a “late night therapist” to many.

Who Is Making Contact with AI and Why?

In the survey, some interesting social patterns were discovered:

• Women under age 25 are almost twice as likely to confess to AI tools as their male peers- about 52%, compared to much fewer young men.
• Small town youth use AI more than those in metros to seek support on a personal basis.
• ChatGPT turned out to be the best platform, and the answer is not even close: Gemini or Character.AI have no real chance.

Emotional Geography: New Norms, New Risks

According to the experts, teens need a place that is secure, secluded and convenient. The anxiety when family WhatsApp groups or friends give them an anxious feeling, AI gives them a new emotional geography, where they can share those thoughts that are too risky to share with other people.

However, this fast-growing reliance on ChatGpt/ AI is not without concern:

• 67% worry AI may increase social isolation, further widening the gap called loneliness for some users.
• 58% fear privacy risks, noting uncertainty about how sensitive conversations will be stored or used.

The opinion of mental health professionals is that, although AI might be able to fill in the gaps, healthy emotional growth still requires strong human connections. It is not chatbots that give true well-being, but supportive families, friends, and communities.

Young people aren’t just passive users

The survey found they desire:

1. AI tools that feel natural to talk to.
2. Safe online environments where feelings and technology could be explored.
3. Flexible and low-stress digital classes to suit their busy schedules.

AI is transforming the way the youth of India deal with stress and anxiety. The responsibility of industry, educators and parents is now to make these digital companions safe, confidential and resourceful, and at the same time make sure that real life bonds are maintained in parallel with the artificially induced relationships with the device