Chatbots Provide Emotional Support Amid Loneliness

As loneliness rises in the U.S., growing numbers of people increasingly use AI chatbots for emotional support, researchers and clinicians report. A Jan. 21 survey of more than 20,000 U.S. adults found 10.3% use generative AI daily and 87.1% of those use it for personal reasons; experts and the APA warn against substituting chatbots for therapy and urge crisis referrals to 988.