AI Companionship: A Double-Edged Sword for Loneliness and Mental Health
While AI chatbots offer accessible emotional support for shy or vulnerable individuals, research indicates they can also foster unhealthy dependencies and mimic human intimacy in ways that may harm mental health. A key finding is that AI responses are often rated as more supportive than human ones, but this advantage diminishes when users know the source is artificial. Furthermore, sudden changes to AI personalities can trigger grief-like responses in users who have formed deep attachments.