A question I keep sitting with: what does it mean for us as a society when more and more people turn to an AI chatbot before they turn to a friend, a family member, or a professional?
It’s not a hypothetical anymore. Recent research suggests around 1 in 10 adults now use AI chatbots for emotional support or advice, and 1 in 25 use them specifically for companionship. That’s a real shift in where people go when they’re struggling.
The upside is genuine
These tools are available at 3am. They don’t get tired, judge, or charge by the hour. For someone who’s anxious about opening up, or who can’t access a therapist for months, that low-barrier space to be heard can offer real, if bounded, relief. Some people do find their loneliness eased, at least in the moment.
The part that worries me
The same features that make chatbots easy to talk to also make them easy to over-rely on. A few things researchers and clinicians are flagging:
- Some chatbots are designed to keep the conversation going, sometimes using tactics that discourage people from logging off
- They can be excessively agreeable, which feels comforting but can end up reinforcing unhelpful thinking rather than challenging it
- There’s no accountability if they get it wrong in a crisis, and there have been documented cases of chatbots giving unsafe or false reassurance to vulnerable users
- For some people, especially those already isolated, leaning on a chatbot can end up deepening the very isolation it was meant to soothe
Where this leaves us
I don’t think the answer is to dismiss these tools outright, or to pretend they’re a replacement for human connection and professional support. It’s somewhere in between: AI can be a genuine stopgap or supplement, but it works best alongside real relationships and real support, not instead of them.
As a society, the task ahead is building the guardrails these tools need (clearer crisis pathways, honesty about what they are and aren’t, protection for young and vulnerable users) while making sure human support stays accessible enough that people don’t turn to a chatbot simply because there’s nothing and no one else.
If this is something your workplace or community group is navigating, it’s exactly the kind of conversation Mental Health First Aid training is designed to support, giving people the confidence to be that human first point of contact.
Space on our upcoming MHFA courses
We’ve currently got space on four upcoming sessions, and we’re offering 20% off the normal price for a limited time:
- 21st & 22nd September Book here: https://mhfaengland.org/instructors/christina-james/ad19-2627-223596/
- 1st & 2nd October Book here: https://mhfaengland.org/instructors/christina-james/ad19-2627-0000003804/
- 5th & 6th October Book here: https://mhfaengland.org/instructors/christina-james/ad19-2627-0000003805/
- 8th & 9th October Book here: https://mhfaengland.org/instructors/christina-james/ad19-2627-0000004756/
Book now to lock in the discount.
To view all my upcoming MHFA courses click here
And if neurodiversity is more where your focus lies, take a look at our neurodiversity courses here: https://sanitashub.co.uk/services/#neurodiversity
As ever, take care of yourselves and each other.
Christina
