AI Companions and Loneliness: What the Research Says, and How to Use Them in a Healthy Way

By Your Health Magazine Contributor

Your Health Magazine Contributor

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AI Companions and Loneliness: What the Research Says, and How to Use Them in a Healthy Way

Loneliness is no longer treated as a private feeling. In 2023 the US Surgeon General issued an advisory calling it a public health concern, noting that roughly half of American adults report measurable loneliness and that long-term social disconnection is linked to higher risks of heart disease, stroke, depression and dementia.

Into that gap has stepped a fast-growing kind of app: the AI companion. These are chat services where you talk with an AI character that remembers what you said yesterday, asks how your day went and answers at 2 a.m. when nobody else is awake. Millions of people now use them. So the obvious health question is: do they help with loneliness, or make it worse?

The honest answer, so far, is “it depends on how they’re used”.

What the early research says

Short-term relief is real. A 2024 working paper from researchers at Harvard Business School ran several studies on AI companions and found that a conversation with one reduced feelings of loneliness about as much as talking with another person, and more than passive activities like watching videos. A key ingredient was feeling heard: people felt better when the AI responded in a way that showed it had understood them.

Heavy use is a different story. A 2025 study by MIT Media Lab and OpenAI followed nearly a thousand people over four weeks of daily chatbot use. On average, people who used the chatbot more each day ended up lonelier, more emotionally dependent on it and less socially active with real people. The researchers were careful to say this shows association, not proof that the chatbot caused it. People who are already isolated may simply use it more.

How the companion fits into your social life matters. Researchers have raised particular concern about AI companions replacing or reducing human relationships, while some studies suggest they may provide short-term emotional support. Using one as a supplement might mean having somewhere to think out loud or practise conversation without allowing it to replace contact with friends, partners or family.

Researchers still disagree on a lot, and most studies are short. The clearest pattern so far is that AI companions can provide short-term relief from loneliness, while heavier use has been associated with greater loneliness, emotional dependence and less real-world social interaction. The long-term effects of moderate use are still uncertain.

Warning signs of over-reliance

Ask yourself honestly whether any of these sound familiar:

• You cancel or avoid real plans because talking to the app is easier.
• You feel anxious or irritable when you can’t open it.
• Your sleep is slipping because conversations run late into the night.
• You spend more money on the app than you intended, or hide the spending.
• You find yourself comparing real people unfavourably to an AI that never has a bad day.
• It has become the only place you talk about how you feel.

One or two of these now and then isn’t a crisis. Several of them together, for weeks, is a signal to step back. If low mood or isolation feels heavy, that is worth raising with a doctor or counsellor. An app is not a substitute for care.

How to use an AI companion in a healthy way

1. Decide what it’s for. “Company while I cook dinner”, “practising flirting before a date” or “somewhere to vent after a bad shift” are healthy, bounded uses. “Everything” is not.

2. Set a time box. Pick a window, such as 20 to 30 minutes in the evening, and stop when it ends. Many people find pay-as-you-go or time-limited services easier to keep in check than unlimited subscriptions, because every session is a conscious choice.

3. Keep it out of bed. Late-night chatting is where sleep goes first. Put a hard stop at least an hour before you plan to sleep.

4. Use it as a bridge, not a wall. If a conversation helps you work out what you want to say to a friend, then go and say it to the friend. Sending one real message for every few AI conversations is a simple rule of thumb.

5. Remember what it is. Reputable services say clearly that their characters are AI. Some US states now require regular reminders. Take those reminders seriously. Warmth from an AI can feel genuine, but it isn’t a relationship with mutual needs, and that’s exactly why it shouldn’t be your only one.

6. Watch the spending. Set a monthly budget before you start and check it. Avoid services that are vague about pricing or make cancelling hard.

7. Protect your privacy. Assume anything you type could be stored. Don’t share passwords, financial details or information about other people that you wouldn’t want on a server.

8. Check in with yourself monthly. Are you seeing friends more, less or the same? Sleeping better or worse? Feeling more connected or more cut off? Let the answers decide whether to keep going, cut back or stop.

Choosing a service

If you decide to try one, a few things separate the more responsible services from the rest: clear labelling that the characters are AI, an adults-only age check where content is romantic or flirtatious, transparent pricing with no hidden renewals, and clear content limits. Some, like CrushNights, skip subscriptions entirely and charge only for time actually spent chatting, which makes heavy use visible rather than invisible. Whatever you choose, apply the same habits above.

The bottom line

AI companions are neither a cure for loneliness nor a threat in themselves. Used deliberately and in moderation, they can offer a moment of company and a feeling of being heard. Used as a replacement for people, they risk deepening the isolation they seem to ease. The healthiest approach is to keep the app small and keep real relationships at the centre of your life.

If you are struggling with persistent loneliness or low mood, talk to your doctor. In the US you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any time.