A new study from MIT Media Lab suggests extensive use of AI chatbots correlates with higher feelings of loneliness, dependence and lower socialization, according to Cathy Fang, one of the authors of the study.
People are using chatbots in all kinds of ways — to search the web, get help with an online purchase, sometimes even for counseling. But there's a lot about this human-AI interaction we don't fully understand.
Do these chatbots effectively combat loneliness or worsen social isolation?
The answer — so far — is complicated, according to Cathy Fang, a second-year PhD student at MIT Media Lab who, along with researchers from OpenAI, studied how chatbot use affects human social and emotional wellbeing.
Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Fang about the findings and implications of the study.
“How AI and Human Behaviors Shape Psychosocial Effects of Chatbot Use: A Longitudinal Controlled Study” - from MIT Media Lab
“First Therapy Chatbot Trial Yields Mental Health Benefits” - from Dartmouth University
“In Meta's AI future, your friends are bots” - from Axios
“Mark Zuckerberg Thinks You Don't Have Enough Friends and His Chatbots Are the Answer” - from 404 Media
“Chatbot companions pose dangers to teens” - from Axios
“Can close connections with AI chatbots harm kids?” - from Marketplace Tech
“AI Companions Decoded: Common Sense Media Recommends AI Companion Safety Standards” - from Common Sense Media
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