Aura and UNC-Chapel Hill Peer-Reviewed Study Reveals How Kids Use AI Tools, Where Risks Still Emerge

BOSTON, July 8, 2026 - Aura, a leading AI-powered online safety platform for individuals and families, published peer-reviewed findings that reveal kids primarily use AI as a tool for homework, internet searching, or other quick tasks - especially as they get older. The paper is featured in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development.

The research analyzed anonymized keystroke data and behaviors observed in the Aura Parents app from more than 42,000 AI conversation days from over 3,000 U.S. youth up to age 17, focusing exclusively on what children typed into AI engines.

The findings were previously presented at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting as well as the Society for Research on Adolescence Conference, and build off of Aura's recent State of the Youth Report focused on kids' AI chatbot interactions when used for companionship.

"Our study provides a window into how kids are actually using AI tools. Aura's unique insights allowed us to see that while the majority of interactions we observed were focused on practical tasks like learning and problem-solving, some genAI use is more complex, or even risky for young kids," said Dr. Annie Maheux, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the lead author of the study. "Understanding these patterns is critical as we work to ensure AI evolves in ways that support kids' digital wellbeing, not threaten it."

Key report findings include:

• The majority of kids (62%) are using genAI as a tool, which includes problem-solving, homework help, image generation, etc.
• 15% of all generative AI chatbot conversations included violence, 15% included sexual role-play, and 8% included romantic role-play.
  
  • 6% of chatbot conversations involved treating the chatbot like a friend.
  • About 3% involved seeking emotional support, including for depression, anxiety and anger.
• Kids under 12 showed presumably riskier patterns than older kids. Many generative AI conversations included violence (15-24%) and sexual or romantic role-play (11-19%).
  
  • For 16-17-year-olds, only 6-8% of user-app-days involve violence and 2-8% involve either sexual or romantic role-play in comparison.
• Conversations involving violence, sexual role-play, romantic role-play, or emotional support contained substantially more words, signaling more engagement, than typical tool-use conversations.

"Our research shows that many young people are using AI tools for information seeking purposes," said Dr. Scott Kollins, clinical psychologist and scientific advisor at Aura. "At the same time, the data highlights an important reality: even though AI is used primarily as a tool, risks still emerge particularly when conversations turn into role-play. Research is just beginning to unpack the long-term effects of how this will impact our kids, which is why it's critical for parents and caregivers to have tools like Aura to help increase visibility into what their kids are doing with these chatbots."

For more details on the research of kids' AI chatbot conversations, read the full peer-reviewed report.

Methodology

Participants were 3,363 U.S. youth ages 0-17 years using the Aura parental monitoring app who engaged in some degree of genAI use. Text input was coded using a large language model with human review, analyzing more than 42,000 AI conversation days between January 2025 and September 2025, which refer to all messages a single user sends to a single genAI application within a 24-hour period.

About Aura

Aura is one of the fastest-growing online safety solutions for individuals and families. Whether you're protecting yourself, your kids or your aging loved ones, Aura meets your needs at every stage of life. From real-time threat detection and scam alerts to tools that help parents protect their kids from predators, cyberbullying and tech-driven mental health risks, Aura empowers families to thrive in the digital world. Learn more at aura.com.

About the Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development

The Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development at the University of North Carolina is a preeminent research center dedicated to exploring how technology influences human development, particularly in shaping the brains, lives, and futures of young people. Learn more at winstoncenter.unc.edu.