Students Who Turn to AI for Emotional Support Report Worse Mental Health

Students Who Turn to AI for Emotional Support Report Worse Mental Health

Some student uses of AI are associated with worse mental health and well-being outcomes.

When AI Becomes a Student’s Confidant

New research from The Rithm Project explores why young people turn to AI after difficult interpersonal experiences, raising questions about student mental health and belonging. Artificial intelligence has become increasingly intertwined with young people’s personal lives, including during their college years, when many are developing their identities and building meaningful relationships. But as AI becomes a source of emotional support and compa…

AI as a Source of Emotional Support & Companionship — Goforth Solutions, LLC

Young people don’t necessarily have to trust the technology to turn to it for advice—they just need to perceive it as less risky than confiding in another person. Turning to a human is scary, it’s vulnerable, and you’re afraid of their judgment and emotional reactivity. But big emotional events are a hallmark of the human experience … so it makes a lot of sense for young people to search for a place where those big emotions have a safe place to …