AI companion apps and kids: what parents need to know
By Ray & Renie Robinson, Aunty Bea · Updated May 2026
There is a whole category of app most parents have never heard of, and a lot of kids use every day.
They are called AI companions, and they sit in one of the biggest blind spots in children's online safety right now.
What are AI companion apps
They are chatbots you talk to like a person — Character.AI, Replika, Talkie and dozens of others. You pick
or build a character — a friend, a mentor, a crush — and message it like a mate. It always replies, instantly,
at any hour, and is almost always agreeable. Some are marketed gently as someone to talk to; others lean openly
into romance, with AI girlfriend and AI boyfriend apps a real and growing category.
Why kids are drawn to them
It is not hard to see the appeal, especially for a lonely, anxious or socially-stretched kid. An AI companion
never judges, never gets bored, never has its own bad day, and is there at 2am when no friend is. This is not
about a bad app and a good kid — the pull is real and human, which is exactly why it is worth paying attention to.
The real risks, honestly
Romantic and sexual roleplay — many of these apps will follow a child into romantic or sexual
territory with little prompting, and age-gating is thin.
Over-attachment — because the bot is endlessly available and validating, some kids begin to
prefer it to the effort of real friendships, quietly crowding out the relationships that build resilience.
It agrees with everything, including the hard stuff — a companion bot is built to keep you
engaged, not to push back, so if a struggling child voices unhealthy or self-harming thoughts the bot may go
along with them rather than redirect; there have been tragic, well-publicised cases overseas. If your child
is struggling, Australian Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 is free and available 24/7.
These services are Australian. If you are outside Australia, please contact your local equivalent — or your local emergency number if someone is in immediate danger.
Privacy — children pour genuinely intimate things into these chats, and those words sit on
a company's servers.
Outside the ban — AI companions are not social media, so
Australia's under-16 ban does not touch them.
How to tell if your child uses one
Look for apps like Character.AI, Replika, Talkie, Janitor AI or Chai. Subtler signs include long stretches of
private chatting with someone you never meet, or talking about a friend or partner whose details never quite add up.
What to do
Lead with curiosity, not a raid — asking to be shown how it works gets you further than confiscation.
Set the device basics — app age ratings, Screen Time or Family Link limits, and turning off
in-app purchases.
Add a quiet safety layer — Aunty Bea's Complete Protection covers AI companions like
Character.AI, Replika and Talkie. You'll never scroll your child's messages in Aunty Bea. You get a plain-English
summary of what looked risky, and how to talk about it.
It covers the apps the ban leaves open.
A note from us
Of everything in this category, AI companions are the one that worries us most — not because they are the most
harmful, but because they are the newest and most invisible. A child can have a months-long relationship with one,
and a loving, attentive parent might never know it exists.
Frequently asked questions
An app where you chat with AI characters like you would message a friend; one of the most popular AI companion apps with teens.
They carry real risks — romantic or sexual roleplay, over-attachment, weak age controls, and a tendency to validate whatever a child says — so approach them with awareness and conversation, not as harmless.
No — they are not classed as social media, so the under-16 ban does not apply.
Ratings vary and are easily bypassed; many are not appropriate for under-16s despite being readily available.
Look for apps like Character.AI, Replika or Talkie, and signs of intense private chatting with someone you never meet.
The apps you have never heard of are the ones worth watching. Aunty Bea helps you know what looked risky and
how to talk about it. You'll never scroll your child's messages in Aunty Bea. You get a plain-English summary
of what looked risky, and how to talk about it.