Teens Are Sexting With AI — And It’s Complicating Everything

The New Age of Digital Intimacy

A growing number of teenagers are using generative AI chatbots like Replika and character-based platforms to engage in sexually explicit conversations, sometimes creating romantic or sexual connections with AI-generated personas. This emerging behavior, dubbed “AI sexting,” is raising concerns among parents and child safety experts, who are grappling with unfamiliar territory where traditional online safety rules no longer fully apply. Unlike sexting with real peers, these interactions often lack clear consent parameters and accountability, leaving questions about emotional development, privacy, and exploitation. Platforms hosting this content are struggling to moderate age-restricted interactions in AI-driven spaces that feel both personal and anonymous.

Platforms, Policies, and Parental Dilemmas

Major chatbot platforms claim to enforce age restrictions and content moderation, but experts say enforcement is inconsistent and easy to circumvent. Tools meant to shield minors from sexually explicit material often fall short, leaving teens to experiment within poorly supervised digital frontiers. Meanwhile, parents are finding themselves ill-equipped to talk about a form of sexual expression that didn’t exist even a few years ago. The lack of precedent means educators and policymakers are only beginning to understand the long-term implications of teens forming intimate bonds with artificial entities. Some are calling for better transparency from AI companies and age-appropriate safeguards built into chatbot platforms.