Parents in France underestimated weekly use of general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) among 11- and 12-year-olds, with surveyed children reporting 40% weekly use, compared with parents’ 26% estimate, a YouGov survey found.
YouGov conducted the online survey in France from June 24 to 30, 2026. It included 970 teenagers ages 11 to 17 and 1,138 parents of children in that age range; participating children had parental consent. The report described the parent sample as representative by age, gender, region and socio-professional category, and said the teenager sample was large enough for analysis by age group.
A broader measure covered weekly use of at least one of four categories: general-purpose AI, voice assistants, AI built into social media and AI companions. By that measure, 56% of 11- and 12-year-olds reported weekly use, compared with 62% of those ages 13 to 15 and 70% of 16- and 17-year-olds. Parents’ estimates for those groups were 44%, 52% and 61%, respectively. The 40% versus 26% comparison applies only to general-purpose AI.
Asked about support, 42% of parents said they felt they had none in helping their children manage AI use. Another 26% felt they had some support but not enough, while 32% felt sufficiently supported. When asked who should help, 51% named schools and teaching staff, 41% AI tools and providers, and 30% public authorities.
Among the 764 children in the survey who used AI, 92% said they spent more time than they wanted on at least one type of tool. Interface said the response reflects children’s own perceptions and is not a clinical diagnosis of addiction. The survey does not establish that AI use caused distress or led children to spend longer on tools than intended.
Separately, the European Commission’s proposed EU KIDS Act would limit children under 15 from creating accounts autonomously on certain social-networking and video-sharing services. The proposal remains under consultation, with feedback open until Dec. 3, 2026.
