Increased use of AI chatbots like ChatGPT could lead to increased feelings of loneliness and less time spent interacting with others, Bloomberg reports, citing research from OpenAI and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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In one study, researchers followed nearly 1,000 people who had already used ChatGPT for a month. Participants were randomly assigned to use either the text version of the chatbot or one of two voice versions for at least five minutes a day. Some were asked to have open chats on any topic, while others were asked to have private or non-personal conversations with the AI.
Those who spent more time typing or voice chatting with ChatGPT each day were more likely to report higher levels of emotional dependence on the chatbot, problematic use, and increased feelings of loneliness.
As it turned out, people who tend to be emotionally attached to human relationships and who trusted the chatbot more were more likely to feel lonely and emotionally dependent on ChatGPT. However, the researchers found no connection between the greater attractiveness of the chatbot’s voice and negative consequences.
In the second study, the researchers used software to analyze three million user conversations with ChatGPT and also conducted a survey on how people interacted with the chatbot. It turned out that only a few respondents used ChatGPT for emotionally charged communication.
The release of ChatGPT in late 2022 has fueled the excitement around generative AI. As developers like OpenAI create increasingly sophisticated models with voice features to better mimic human interactions, the potential for users to form parasocial relationships with chatbots grows.
In recent months, concerns have resurfaced about the technology’s potential emotional harm, particularly among younger users and those with mental health issues. OpenAI sees new research as a way to better understand how people interact with its popular chatbot and how it affects them. But the research is still in its early stages, and it remains unclear to what extent chatbots may contribute to loneliness or how much their use exacerbates emotional dependency in those predisposed to it.
Cathy Mengying Fang, a co-author of the study and a PhD student at MIT, expressed concern that the results could lead to hasty conclusions that increased chatbot use inevitably leads to negative consequences. She explained that the study did not control for the amount of time ChatGPT was used as a factor, nor did it compare it to a control group that did not use chatbots.