Emotional Reliance on Artificial Intelligence: A Scoping Review of AI Companionship and Mental Health Implications
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven conversational systems are increasingly capable of simulating empathy, adapting to individual users, and fostering emotional bonds that blur the boundary between tool and companion. This scoping review maps the extent and nature of published evidence regarding psychological mechanisms underlying emotional reliance on AI chatbots and associated mental health implications. Methods: Conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and IEEE Xplore from database inception to March 2026. Two independent reviewers screened records and extracted data using the PCC (Population, Concept, Context) framework. Thematic synthesis was performed to map evidence across psychological, clinical, and developmental domains. Results: Of 1847 records identified, 46 studies met inclusion criteria. Key themes included: (1) the ELIZA effect as a foundational mechanism of human–AI attachment, with documented cases of severe dependency including fatal outcomes; (2) anthropomorphization and artificial intimacy fostered by adaptive, personalized AI design; (3) proposal of Generative AI Dependency (GAID) as a conceptual framework mapping onto behavioral addiction components, pending empirical validation; (4) particular vulnerability of adolescents and lonely individuals to exclusive affective bonds with AI; and (5) potential erosion of human relational capacities, empathy development, and tolerance for interpersonal complexity. Significant gaps were identified in longitudinal research, validated screening tools, and intervention protocols. Conclusions: Emotional reliance on AI represents an emerging clinical phenomenon with addiction-like features requiring specific diagnostic frameworks, evidence-based interventions, and ethical design guidelines. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies examining developmental impacts and neurobiological investigations of AI-mediated reinforcement mechanisms.