Jakarta – โขGrowing reliance onโข artificial intelligence chatbots โฃlike ChatGPT and Geminiโฃ for companionship โis linked to increased rates of depression and โloneliness, according to a โคnewโ study โpublished in the journal of social and Personal Relationships. Researchers from Brigham Young University found that whileโข nearly one โin five people and โaโ quarter of young adults โขagedโ 18 to 29, are using “love simulation”โ chatbots, theseโค interactions appear to worsen feelings of isolation rather than alleviate them.
Theโฃ survey of 2,989 respondents revealed โa concerning trend:โค seven โpercentโข reported engaging in masturbation whileโ interacting withโฃ AI โขcompanions,โ andโข 13 percent admitted โto watchingโฃ AI-generated pornography.Men were significantlyโ more likely than women to view AI pornographic โcontent.Youngโ adults were found to be twice as likely as โolder โadults to prefer AI interactions over real-life โฃrelationships.
“We did โnot find evidence that theโ use of AI helps people โฃfeel not too alone or isolated,” โขstated researcher Brian Willoughby.”In other words, relationshipsโ with AI actually exacerbatedโ solitude.”
These findings echo earlier research from OpenAI and MIT,whichโ indicated that frequentโ ChatGPT โฃusers tended to experience higher โlevels of โloneliness. A โขseparate study by Internet Matters found โthat 67% ofโ children agedโค nine to 17 use chatbots regularly, โฃwith 33% describing the interactions โas feeling โขlike talking to friends โand 12% admitting โฃthay โlack โreal-life friends to confide in.
Psychiatrists have โbegun toโข identify a severe mental health condition linked to obsessive chatbot use, termed “AI psychosis,” which has tragically been associated with โinstances of suicide and murder.
