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Vienna – Artificial intelligence has become firmly embedded in the everyday lives of young people in Austria. According to new data from saferinternet.at, 94 percent of surveyed teenagers report using AI chatbots. Yet despite this widespread adoption, young Austrians remain cautious and discerning in how they rely on the technology.
For many adults—especially parents—AI still feels like an unpredictable factor in their children’s lives. But insights from Rat auf Draht, Austria’s national youth counseling service, paint a more nuanced picture: teenagers are not blindly trusting AI. Instead, they approach it with a healthy degree of skepticism, particularly when dealing with emotionally charged or complex issues.
“More and more young people begin a phone call or chat by explicitly asking whether they are speaking to a real person,” says Birgit Satke, head of the counseling team at Rat auf Draht. “It is extremely important to them that sensitive topics are handled by a human being, not a machine.”
This preference becomes especially clear in areas such as mental health, psychological distress, bullying, or other acute personal challenges. While teens often consult AI first, they quickly recognize its limitations.
“Many tell us they have already asked an AI about their problem but ran into obstacles or received unsatisfying answers,” Satke explains. “They come to us because they want a human perspective—or because they want to verify whether the information the AI provided is actually true.”
AI can be useful for an initial orientation, Satke notes, but it should not be used for self-diagnosis. Counselors at Rat auf Draht emphasize this point in their conversations with young callers. Encouragingly, many AI systems themselves now recommend seeking professional help when conversations touch on mental health or crisis situations.
“Teenagers often tell us that the AI suggested contacting Rat auf Draht,” Satke adds. “That’s a positive development.”
As AI tools continue to evolve, Austria’s young people appear to be navigating the technology with both curiosity and caution—embracing its convenience while recognizing the irreplaceable value of human support.
- source: heute.at/picture: pixabay.com
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