Research finds lonely people feel even sadder after interacting with chatbots

• Two studies from MIT Media Lab and OpenAI found that AI chatbots, can worsen emotional health. Results show AI companions can particularly have a negative impact on lonely users.
• Users who were already lonely reported increased loneliness after interacting with AI chatbots, highlighting loneliness can drive excessive chatbot use, creating a cycle of emotional distress.
• The studies emphasize that loneliness is a societal issue rather than just a technological problem.

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Some people looking for connections use artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for emotional support, but it turns out virtual companions might be making lonely users even sadder. 

What did the studies find?

A pair of new studies from MIT Media Lab and ChatGPT owner OpenAI set out to investigate the extent to which interactions with ChatGPT impacted users’ emotional health, focusing on the chatbot’s advanced voice mode.

The first of the parallel studies followed close to 1,000 people for more than a month with varying levels of experience with ChatGPT using it for at least five minutes a day.

The second study analyzed around 40 million user conversations from ChatGPT and surveyed how users interacted with the AI tool. 

Across the studies, researchers found that people who used chatbots casually, without forming emotional connections, didn’t report feeling lonelier at the end of the study. 

However, users who said they were lonely before starting the study, felt worse after it was over.

Researchers concluded the lonelier people are, the more time they spend with digital companions and, in turn, feel a fear of missing out, leading to more loneliness and subsequent usage.

“Loneliness is both a cause and effect of problematic internet use,” the MIT team wrote.

Is more human connection needed?

The studies also pointed to the negative impact of AI chatbots being a societal problem and not a technological issue, emphasizing the importance of healthier human connections. 

According to a 2024 YouGov survey, a little over half of young Americans aged 18 to 29 felt comfortable speaking to AI about mental health concerns.

Lawsuits involving teens and chatbot use

While some users say chatbots help ease loneliness, there has been increasing scrutiny about the negative effects.

Character.AI is currently facing two separate lawsuits concerning interacting with minors.