Over half of young Indians turn to AI as emotional confidants
88% of teens use GenAI for support, with young women and small-town youth leading adoption; experts warn of rising social isolation and privacy concerns, finds Youth Pulse Survey.
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Artificial intelligence is no longer just a productivity tool for India’s youth, it’s becoming a trusted emotional outlet. According to the first Youth Pulse Survey by Youth Ki Awaaz and Youth Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC), 57% of young Indians aged 13–35 use AI to cope with stress, loneliness, or to seek advice.
Alarmingly, 42% said they were less likely to approach friends or family for help after turning to AI, raising fresh concerns about the technology’s impact on social connections and mental well-being.
Based on 500+ responses collected, the survey reveals that AI is fast becoming a go-to mental health support system for young people. The findings reveal that ChatGPT is the most popular AI tool among young Indians, with 57% using AI for emotional reasons. Over half of the respondents reported turning to AI for support—whether they felt stressed, lonely, or needed advice. However, this growing dependence also brings concern: 67% of users worry about increased social isolation, while 58% express fears about privacy risks.
Interestingly, it’s not just metro youth who are tech-savvy, as 43% of young people who participated in the survey and live in small towns reported sharing personal thoughts with AI, and they report higher emotional engagement than their metro counterparts.
Anshul Tewari, Co-founder, Youth Ki Awaz said, "The Youth Pulse findings challenge us to rethink how we approach youth mental health in India. Young people aren't choosing AI over humans—they're finding in AI a space for emotions that have nowhere else to go. The late-night usage patterns, the secrets shared, the relief found—all point to AI becoming the counselling room that doesn't exist, the therapist they can't afford. The question now is whether we formalise this accidental infrastructure or continue letting young people navigate their inner lives through a chatbot's text box.”
Aparajita Bharti, Co-founder, YLAC said, "The tendency of young people to turn to AI chatbots for emotional support is a trend that is being observed worldwide. AI companies, policymakers, parents and educators must acknowledge this growing trend and think about the guardrails around this behaviour, while we are in the early stages of AI adoption. There is a need to think about safety by design principles for AI chatbots especially in the context of young people using them.”
Key findings of the Youth Pulse Survey:
● Over 57% of young Indians use AI emotionally — not just for tasks, but to vent, seek advice, or cope with loneliness and stress.
● Emotional AI use is highest among school students and teenage girls, with 88% of school students using AI during anxious moments and 52% of young women sharing thoughts they wouldn’t tell others.
● Surprisingly, small-town youth show deeper emotional engagement with AI than metro youth, indicating tech-savviness and emotional dependence aren’t limited to urban centres.
● 43% of users have late-night conversations with AI, when human support is least available.
● 40% of young people regularly tell AI things they wouldn’t tell anyone else, treating it as a safe, judgment-free outlet.
● After using AI for emotional support, 42% of youth become less likely to talk to friends or family, revealing a growing substitution effect.
● Despite high usage, 67% worry AI could increase social isolation, and 58% have privacy concerns, highlighting a love-fear dynamic.
● Privacy fears are the top barrier among non-users (73%) — even more than distrust in AI’s ability to understand emotions.
The Youth Pulse survey offers timely evidence that emotional conversations with AI are no longer fringe behaviour—they are mainstream, meaningful, and growing. AI is filling a vital gap in the lives of young people—one that demands thoughtful integration, safeguards, and responsive public discourse.
