The Role of AI Chatbots in Emotional Support and Human Relationships: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

AI chatbots are increasingly becoming a part of everyday life, with people beginning to use them not only to learn and find information but also to share feelings and seek emotional support. The study explores the prevalence of AI chatbot use for emotional support among Sri Lankans and the association between this use and social interaction and mental health. The study was cross-sectional and employed an online questionnaire completed by 31 participants with experience using AI chatbots. Responses were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, cross tabulations and exploratory statistical tests. An open-ended question was also considered to identify common experiences and perspectives related to emotional support and chatbot use. The results showed that AI chatbots were mainly used for studying, learning, obtaining information and solving problems, with the most popular chatbot being ChatGPT. But some participants also said they used AI chatbots when they were stressed, lonely or upset. Some participants said they did not typically share their thoughts or feelings with another person but did with AI chatbots. Most participants reported positive or no perceptible effects on social interactions. Similarly, 38.7% reported their mental health had somewhat improved and 16.1% reported significant improvement. However, human relationships remained the main source of emotional support, with only 9.7% of the participants selecting an AI chatbot as the primary source of support. Overall, the findings suggest that AI chatbots may provide complementary emotional support to some users, in addition to the primary role of human relationships. However, the results should be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size and cross-sectional design. Further research with larger and more diverse samples will be needed to better understand the relationship between AI chatbot use, mental health, and social interactions.