Of those seeking out AI, nearly 20 percent say they do so because it is easier than talking to a fellow human, while one in 10 say they don't have anyone else to talk to, according to the YouGov poll.

But just 6 percent who speak to online chatbots trust them more than they do a real person, the research showed, highlighting an awareness that AI can lean towards telling users what they want to hear.

The annual report, commissioned by youth charity OnSide since 2022, aims to identify how young people spend their free time and comes as concern over the impact of AI on young people is growing in the UK.

This year's study, which surveyed around 5,000 people aged 11-18, included questions about AI for the first time due to the technology's growing impact, a spokesperson for the charity told AFP.

But other patterns have continued alongside AI use. Some 76 percent of young people spend most of their free time on screens -- a figure that has remained steady since 2023.

Almost half (48 percent) spend most of their free time in their bedrooms, and almost a fifth (18 percent) spend most of their free time alone, the report said.

"It's clear that the interlinked issues of loneliness, digital dependence and isolation have become entrenched in young people's lives," said Jamie Masraff, chief executive of OnSide, an organisation that aims to develop youth centres in disadvantaged areas.

The research reveals a paradox in which only 14 percent spend free time with friends in person, even though nearly half (49 percent) say time with friends in real life allows them to feel most connected.

"With so few real-life spaces for young people to meet, socialise and belong we can't blame them for turning to tech to fill that void," Masraff added.