According to an analysis published in The BMJ, a growing number of teenagers say talking to AI chatbots feels better than talking to real people.
Researchers Susan Shelmerdine of Great Ormond Street Hospital and Matthew Nour of the University of Oxford studied regular chatbot use, including ChatGPT, which showed that heavy users tend to feel lonelier and spend less time socializing with real people. Meanwhile, a study by OpenAI and MIT followed nearly 1,000 people over four weeks and found that those who used ChatGPT the most reported higher levels of loneliness and emotional dependence, especially users who felt emotionally attached to the chatbot and trusted it deeply.
Another analysis found that people who saw ChatGPT as a 'friend' were more likely to have emotionally charged conversations with it. However, the researchers noted that these studies could not prove cause and effect, since they did not compare chatbot users with non-users or control how much people used the chatbot.
The researchers further noted that the qualities that make chatbots appealing, such as constant availability, patience, and non-judgmental responses, may also encourage unhealthy attachments. Surveys revealed that one-third of teens use AI companions for social interaction, one in ten find AI conversations more satisfying than human ones, and one in three would choose AI over people for serious talks.
Shelmerdine and Nour advised that doctors and mental health professionals should start asking patients about their chatbot use. They also called for urgent research into the risks of human-AI relationships. They recommend training clinicians to assess AI use, developing treatments for unhealthy dependency, and creating regulations that prioritize long-term well-being rather than user engagement. At the same time, they stress the importance of proven ways to reduce loneliness, such as better screening, therapy, social prescribing, community partnerships, public health campaigns, and group activities.
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