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Certain types of ChatGPT usage might be linked with higher levels of loneliness, according to new research papers from OpenAI and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
However, the results depend on how ChatGPT is being used. The studies find that “personal conversations” with the chatbot, which include more emotional expression, are correlated with higher levels of loneliness among users.
Users' emotional makeup going into the experiment is also a key factor. These negative effects are more common among participants with a stronger tendency toward attachment in relationships and those who "viewed the AI as a friend that could fit in their personal life."
Extended daily use of these types of "personal conversations" are also associated with worse outcomes. However, the research finds that these types of emotional conversations are a fairly niche use case for ChatGPT, and not something employed by the majority of users.
As Engadget notes, the conclusions come from two separate studies: a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) carried out by MIT, in which 1,000 participants used ChatGPT over four weeks, and an automated analysis of nearly 40 million ChatGPT interactions conducted by OpenAI.
More and more attention is being directed toward the negative impacts of conversational chatbots on mental health. In October 2024, a Florida mother sued Character.AI, alleging that the company’s chatbot technology played a part in her 14-year-old son's death by suicide.
Some countries have already taken regulatory action. Two years ago, the Italian government ordered San Francisco-based AI chatbot firm Replika—which specializes in virtual friendship—to stop processing Italians’ data because of the risks it could pose to vulnerable people.
On the other side of the coin, a considerable amount of research is being devoted to assessing the potential for chatbots to improve mental health in therapy. Though the idea of AI therapists has so far proved controversial, some studies have indicated potential benefits of using chatbots in the treatment of depression, at least in the short term.