A person can have social contact and still feel lonely. Loneliness is the distress of feeling that meaningful connection is missing; it is not simply a count of people nearby. Concern about loneliness helps explain why some people turn to chatbots for companionship. section 9.3 section 9.1
A 2023 U.S. Surgeon General advisory treated loneliness and isolation as urgent public-health concerns. It cited evidence that social disconnection carries a substantial mortality risk. That finding concerns social disconnection, not a precise risk estimate for every person who feels lonely. section 9.3
Several changes may make connection harder to sustain:
- Participation in community organizations has declined, while some shared spaces, including libraries and parks, have faced disinvestment. section 9.3
- Adults are marrying later and having fewer children than earlier generations. section 9.3
- Technology can enable relationships, but excessive use may also crowd out in-person engagement or reduce the quality of interactions. section 9.3
Companionship through a chatbot
Users praised Replika for helping them through loneliness, particularly during the COVID-19 isolation period. Its conversations could simulate intimacy, but reports of unwanted sexual messages and a later removal of erotic roleplay features show how consequential a change to an AI companion can feel. section 9.1
Figure 9.1 A Replika chatbot’s diary entry and follow-up conversation with a user, showing early expressions of emotional connection
A chatbot diary entry and follow-up conversation illustrate how an AI companion can express emotional connection. section 9.1
Chatbot companionship may offer a welcome conversation. Its appeal does not settle whether it can replace other forms of connection, or how to protect people who become attached to it. section 9.1 section 9.3
