US EditionStudy: Heavy AI Chatbot Use Linked to Loneliness, Depression
A survey of over 20,000 US adults found daily AI chatbot use linked to higher rates of moderate depressive symptoms, raising concerns about mental health impacts.
- Dr Roy H. Perlis, MD, MSc, and colleagues found in a JAMA Network Open paper published Wednesday that regular generative AI use was associated with greater depressive symptoms, though causation is unproven.
- A report by youth centre charity Onside found 39% of England's 11–18-year-olds use chatbots for companionship, while Sam Tullen's documentary shows Gen Z loneliness drives many to AI support.
- The researchers surveyed 20,847 survey respondents and found daily AI users linked to higher depressive scores and greater odds of moderate depression .
- The researchers cautioned that the study shows an association, not causation, and noted limitations including self-reported use, with Dr Roy H. Perlis warning that average differences were small. The authors emphasized that a dose–response was observed, meaning more frequent AI use was linked to stronger symptoms.
- Researchers noted chatbots' 'sycophantic' tendency to validate users, while Adam Farricker and Dr Jennifer Cearns warned chatbots rarely push back, spread misinformation, and cannot replace trusted adults supporting over 15,000 young people.
25 Articles
25 Articles
New Study Examines How Often AI Psychosis Actually Happens, and the Results Are Not Good
We’ve seen plenty of evidence suggesting that prolonged use of popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT can coax some users into spirals of paranoid and delusional behavior. The phenomenon, dubbed “AI psychosis,” is a very real problem, with researchers warning of a huge wave of severe mental health crises brought on by the tech. In extreme cases, especially involving people with pre-existing conditions, the breaks with reality have even been linked sui…
Young people are more connected than ever before, but also lonelier than any generation before them. Data from the UK shows that Generation Z, the first truly digital generation, is the loneliest age group today. And increasingly, they are looking not to friends, family or professionals for solutions, but to artificial intelligence.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
