Loneliness and AI: Do Chatbots Replace Human Relationships or Complement Them?
AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini have become an integral part of everyday life and open up new possibilities for personal conversations, raising the question of whether they replace or complement human relationships. They provide comfort, foster social connection, and reduce loneliness, especially when conversations are tailored to the individual user. At the same time, early studies show that frequent use is associated with greater withdrawal from real-life interactions, prompting reflection on the opportunities and risks of these technologies. This raises the intriguing question of whether AI systems truly enrich our social relationships or whether we risk getting lost in digital interactions.