Sustained AI companion use links to lower well-being through less human contact
Living with AI Companions: Sustained AI Companionship Predicts Lower Well-Being Through Lower Human Interaction
Human-Computer Interaction
Summary
People use AI chatbots for emotional support and companionship, but this study found that those who keep using these AI companions a lot over time tend to feel less well. The researchers show that this effect seems to happen because interacting more with AI companions often means spending less time with real people. The study suggests designers should think about ways AI companions can support human relationships rather than replace them.
What this means in practice
- •For ai product designers: Design AI companions that encourage users to maintain human social interactions to avoid negatively impacting well-being.
- •For mental health app developers: Create features in digital therapy tools that balance AI companionship with prompts to engage in real-world social activities for better user well-being.
Authors
Yutong Zhang, Dora Zhao, Yixin Wang, Rebecca Anselmetti, Jeffrey T. Hancock, Robert Kraut, Diyi Yang
Abstract
AI chatbots are increasingly used for companionship, emotional support, and personal self-disclosure; however, how social engagement with these systems unfolds over time and shapes users' well-being remains unclear. To address this, we conducted a two-wave longitudinal study of CharacterAI users, surveying 1,182 participants at baseline and 439 after a mean follow-up of 12 months. We examined how social engagement with AI companions evolves and how these longitudinal engagement patterns may influence well-being through two hypothesized pathways: sustained social engagement over time and the displacement of human social interaction. We found that interaction intensity, companionship use, and self-disclosure all showed substantial continuity over time. Greater interaction intensity at baseline predicted greater subsequent interaction intensity, companionship use, and self-disclosure. Consistent with the longitudinal engagement pathway, sustained social engagement across these dimensions was consistently associated with lower well-being. Results further support the social displacement pathway, indicating that these links were mainly explained by lower in-person social interaction. These findings highlight the importance of designing AI companions that support human social relationships without displacing them