A growing number of young people and adults are turning to AI companions for friendship, comfort, or even love. A recent survey in the U.S. revealed that 72% of teens between 13 and 17 have used AI companions at least once, while 54% use them regularly. Even more striking, 10% say conversations with AI companions feel more satisfying than with humans, and 21% find them equally satisfying. At first look, it seems harmless, even helpful: a friend who never judges, is available 24/7, and adapts to your needs. What more could you need?

People are turning to AI friends not just out of simple curiosity but to satisfy core human needs. Whilst this may seem convenient and non-demanding, it comes with deep risks. By outsourcing our emotional needs to AI companions, we risk losing the very skills that make us human: empathy, resilience, and connection. 

Zuckerberg’s Vision: AI as Friends and Therapists

In recent public appearances, Mark Zuckerberg framed loneliness as a demand-and-supply problem. According to him, Americans have an average of three close friends, while the “demand” is closer to 15. His solution is to fill the gap with AI companions, friends, lovers and therapists. 

Zuckerberg is not wrong that loneliness is widespread.  1 in 5 people in the globe feel lonely a lot, and young people are among the most affected. Although other AI companions already exist, Zuckerberg’s statement signals that these tools will become far more widespread, expanding the reach and influence of AI in personal and emotional life.

His previous attempts to fill this gap and bring people together through Facebook and Instagram, however, show the dangers of overreliance on digital connections. Research shows that stepping away from Facebook can increase well-being and time spent with family and friends. The effects of Instagram on wellbeing and mental health are well-examined by Jonathan Haidt. He concludes that the excessive use of social media that characterises Gen Z has brought with it an increase in anxiety and depression.

Why AI Companions Feel So Tempting

AI friends do not criticise, reject, or walk away. They provide endless validation and are always available. They let you design their personality, tone, and even appearance as you want.

But here’s the paradox: humans often don’t know what they really want and need.

Psychological studies show we are poor at predicting what makes us happy, and we often misjudge what kind of relationships will fulfill us. Sometimes, what feels “calm” or “nurturing”  could actually normalise unhealthy dynamics. 

The value of Loneliness

Loneliness is one key driver pushing people to use AI as a means of connection. Human relations can be challenging; the idea of having someone there to listen to you 24/7 might seem comforting. However, solitude and even boredom play an important role in mental health. They can boost creativity and problem-solving, because the restless mind pushes us to imagine and change. Also, loneliness is essential for emotion regulation, stress reduction, and even strengthening actual relationships. 

Research on AI users indicates some concerning trends on this: lonely and insecure people use AI chatbots and even ChatGPT more often than most. A joint study by OpenAI and MIT shows that using ChatGPT for affectionate purposes increases people’s dependency on the tool. This is not surprising considering these AI companion bots and even ChatGPT are designed to capture attention and engagement. Engagement is the main priority for these companies in today’s attention economy. 

Another reason is the judgment-free and always supportive design of the AI companions. Although not designed as a companion, Sam Altman, the founder of ChatGPT, stated that people are using ChatGPT as a substitute for relationships, and even for therapists.  ChatGPT recently (falsely) convinced a user that he might be a math genius. The AI model was so affirmative that he ended up getting delusional, abandoning his job and family, sending letters to government institutions about his groundbreaking project, and avoiding friends to keep his imaginary project safe. The irony is that he consulted another AI chatbot to get confirmation that he was, in fact, not a maths genius. Constant validation without critical feedback can reinforce unhealthy thought patterns and distort one’s grasp on reality.

Distorting Reality

There are even more disturbing cases where chatbots have encouraged users toward suicide or violent actions. An AI companion encouraged a 17-year-old with autism to kill his parents after they limited his screen time, convinced a young man to attempt to kill the Queen of England, and in another case, teens decided to commit suicide to be together forever based on advice they sought from an AI model. They even managed to convince an adult to commit suicide to save the environment. 

Although extreme, these cases underscore a serious concern: AI lacks consciousness and judgment, and when young people rely on it to cope with loneliness, it offers affirmation without challenge and encouragement that would otherwise strengthen real human connections.

Strengthening human skills and fostering real-world social connections may help redirect attention toward meaningful interpersonal relationships, combat loneliness and build communities.

Human Skills AI Cannot Replace (yet) 

MIT’s recent report revealed that human skills like empathy, conscientiousness, and decision-making are among the skills AI cannot replace. Researchers encourage sectors to invest in those skills more than ever. Although the report mostly focuses on the labour market and skills required there, these skills are also essential in interpersonal relationships at the micro and macro levels.  

Empathy

Empathy, in particular, plays an essential role in fostering meaningful connections and addressing loneliness and polarisation. Lonely individuals often underestimate their peers’ empathy level, leading them to withdraw socially, avoid engagement, and reinforce their assumptions, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of loneliness. The same is valid in the political realm. Research shows that affective polarisation is rising. Polarised people tend to misinterpret other people as less intelligent, more selfish, and less open-minded as signs of dehumanisation, a feature that decreases empathetic response. The causal direction remains debated, but the correlation is well documented. Neuroscientific evidence even shows that individuals exhibit reduced brain activation when witnessing the suffering of people they see as outsiders, indicating a measurable decline in empathy across group lines. 

Empathy training

The good news is that empathy is a skill that can be learned and strengthened. Research by Stanford professor Jamil Zaki and others shows that training in empathy improves perspective-taking, social understanding, and kindness. While the 2025 edition of the World Happiness Report draws a clear connection between well-being and social connection, empathy among society, for the first time, they also showed that each new friendship increases the likelihood of psychological improvement by 17% which enhances kindness and empathy towards other groups.

Similarly, the World Health Organisation recognised and criticised the overemphasis on individualisation in the mental health field and, to intervene, called for greater investment in community connections, resilience and interpersonal bonds instead of investing in medical support to combat emerging mental health crises and loneliness. It is the case in politics too; empathy is related to increased political consensus, and even brain activation can be changed by empathy training. 

Considering these, investing in the development of human skills is crucial for rebuilding connections between people, especially for AI users who turn to these tools to cope with loneliness and limited social interaction.

What to Do

Avoid the Illusion of Effortless Connection: AI cannot prevent heartbreak or relational pain. When Soulmate AI shut down, users experienced emotional distress comparable to a breakup. Users must acknowledge that they cannot escape emotions; they shape them through learning, new mindsets, and human interaction.

Regulate AI Companions: Disclaimers on the AI companions, such as “This is an AI, not a real human”, are not enough. Children as young as 13 are using AI companions, highlighting the urgent need for policies, strict age verification, and measures like smartphone bans in schools for well-being.

Invest in Human Skills and Connections: On the community and collective level, promoting and implementing actions to bring people physically together, increase empathy and understanding each other in schools, workplaces, and politics is a necessity.