Nearly eight in 10 Finnish children and teens use AI, survey finds
A nationwide survey found that 78% of 11-17-year-olds use AI, mostly to look up information and for schoolwork. Nearly half use it daily, and one in five said they talk to AI about things they do not want to tell other people.
Martti Asikainen | 30.10.2026 | Photo by Adobe Stock Photos
Artificial intelligence has become an established part of everyday life for children and teenagers in Finland. According to a nationwide survey, 78% of 11-17-year-olds use AI tools, and nearly half use them daily. Younger children have taken it up too: 71% of pupils in grades four to six already use it.
The survey was commissioned by two organisations that work for children: the Itla Children’s Foundation and Digirauha. Digirauha is a non-profit that aims to protect children and young people from the harms of commercial digital platforms.
AI in their pockets
According to Katri Vataja, Itla’s chief executive, the debate over whether children should use AI no longer matches reality, because the technology is already widely part of their lives.
The survey shows that the mobile phone is by far the most common device for using AI. Of respondents who use AI, 94% use it on a phone. More than half said they learnt to use it by experimenting on their own.
AI is most often used for looking up information and for schoolwork. About 67% use it to find information, and nearly half use it for school assignments and homework. Older pupils use AI more often for writing and schoolwork, while primary school pupils are more likely to make images and videos with it.
Many respondents said their school had not discussed the benefits, risks or rules of using AI.
Riikka Ihamuotila, Digirauha’s chair, called for more training for teachers and equal AI education for all pupils. In her view, AI literacy should be given the same standing as established school subjects, and children should not be left to develop their skills alone.
Private talks with AI
The survey also asked whether young people use AI for personal conversations. One in five respondents said they talk to AI about things they do not want to tell other people.
Among older teenagers, the share was more than one in four. In addition, 7% said they talk to AI because they have nobody else to talk to.
The organisations that commissioned the survey are concerned that children are seeking companionship from chatbots. They are particularly worried about how this affects children who feel lonely.
The survey also shows that about a third of respondents cannot tell AI-generated images and videos from real ones. Among primary and lower secondary school-age respondents, the share was almost two in five.
Even so, more than half of respondents trust the information AI gives them. Boys said they trust AI slightly more often than girls. According to Ihamuotila, recognising AI-generated content is becoming an important digital skill as AI changes how people search for and judge information.
About the survey
E2 Research carried out the survey in September using an online panel. Polling company Norstat collected the responses between 14 and 29 September. E2 Research did the analysis and wrote the report. More than 1,000 11-17-year-olds responded.
The organisations behind the study are calling for stronger AI education, more guidance for teachers and safer digital environments for children.
