French Teens Use AI Far More Than Parents Realise, Survey Shows

A YouGov survey commissioned by the Berlin-based NGO Interface was conducted in France from 24 to 30 June 2026. It sampled 970 teenagers aged 11-17 and 1,138 parents of children in the same age range. The results reveal a substantial gap between teens’ self-reported AI use and parents’ awareness. While 40 % of 11- to 12-year-olds say they use general-purpose generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) weekly, only 26 % of parents recognise this, a 14-percentage-point discrepancy.

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Overall, 56 % of 11-12-year-olds report using at least one generative AI tool each week. Specific usage includes 40 % for general-purpose AI, 33 % for voice assistants such as Alexa, 23 % for AI embedded in social media (e.g., Snapchat’s My AI), and 16 % for AI companions like Character AI—despite the latter’s EU age limit of 16. The survey also found that 92 % of generative-AI users feel they spend more time on these tools than they would like; AI companions (59 %) and social-media-integrated AI (57 %) received the highest “too much time” ratings.

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Only 32 % of parents feel sufficiently supported to guide their children’s AI use, 26 % feel partially supported, and 42 % feel unsupported altogether. Jessica Galissaire, senior policy researcher at Interface, notes that digitally-less-savvy parents struggle to implement parental-control tools or discuss AI responsibly. When asked who should bear the educational burden, 51 % of parents pointed to teachers and schools, 41 % to platform companies, and 30 % to public authorities.

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The findings arrive as the European Commission’s proposed “Kids Act” seeks to shift safety-by-design obligations onto platforms, introduce age limits, and mandate parental-control features. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has framed the legislation as a reversal of the burden of proof for tech firms.

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• “The AI chatbot is also like having a friend that is available 24/7. It doesn't get tired and it always agrees with you,” — Jessica Galissaire, a senior policy researcher at Interface

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• “Only 32% of them feel supported enough in helping their children navigate their AI use, 26% feel supported but not enough and 42% of them don't feel supported at all,” — Jessica Galissaire, a senior policy researcher at Interface

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• “Today, our children are engaging with the most sophisticated technologies ever created... Our Kids Act is reversing the burden of proof - it is for platforms to show they are safe by design,” — European Commission President Ursula

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