AI Companions Reduce Loneliness

De Freitas, Julian; Oğuz-Uğuralp, Zeliha; Uğuralp, Ahmet Kaan; Puntoni, Stefano

doi:10.1093/jcr/ucaf040

Cited by 175AI in Service InteractionsSocial Robot Interaction and HRIDigital Mental Health Interventions

AI Companions Reduce Loneliness

De Freitas, Julian, Oğuz-Uğuralp, Zeliha, Uğuralp, Ahmet Kaan, Puntoni, Stefano·2026·Journal of Consumer Research

DOI 10.1093/jcr/ucaf040

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Chatbots are now able to engage in sophisticated conversations with consumers in the domain of relationships, providing a potential coping solution to widescale societal loneliness. Behavioral research provides little insight into whether these applications (apps) are effective at alleviating loneliness. We address this question by focusing on “artificial intelligence (AI) companions”: apps designed to provide consumers with synthetic interaction partners. Study 1 examines user reviews of AI companion apps and finds correlational evidence suggesting that these apps help alleviate loneliness. Study 2 finds that AI companions successfully alleviate loneliness on par only with interacting with another person and more than other activities such as watching YouTube videos. Moreover, consumers underestimate the degree to which AI companions improve their loneliness. Study 3 uses a longitudinal design and finds that an AI companion consistently provides momentary reductions in loneliness after use over the course of a week. Study 4 provides evidence that both the chatbots’ performance and, especially, whether it makes users feel heard, explain reductions in loneliness. Study 5 provides an additional robustness check for the loneliness-alleviating benefits of AI companions and shows that self-disclosure and distraction alone do not explain AI companions’ effectiveness.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1093/jcr/ucaf040

Cites

76 of 76 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

AI companions alleviated loneliness on par only with interacting with another person.
“AI companions alleviated loneliness on par only with interacting with another person (De Freitas et al., 2025)”
From Are Attributions of Consciousness to AI Chatbots Epistemically Innocent? (2026) · cites this paper as De Freitas et al., 2025

A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015) · Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science · doi:10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8 · Cited by 38,459 · see citing works
Language Models are Few-Shot Learners
Brown, T. B., Mann, B., Ryder, N., Subbiah, M., Kaplan, J., Dhariwal, P., Neelakantan, A., Shyam, P., Sastry, G., Askell, A., et al. (2020) · arXiv · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2005.14165 · Cited by 23,372 · see citing works
Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis
Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.310 · Cited by 18,093 · see citing works
RoBERTa: A Robustly Optimized BERT Pretraining Approach
Liu, Y., Ott, M., Goyal, N., Du, J., Joshi, M., Chen, D., Levy, O., Lewis, M., Zettlemoyer, L., & Stoyanov, V. (2019) · arXiv · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1907.11692 · Cited by 16,515 · see citing works
An Introduction to Propensity Score Methods for Reducing the Effects of Confounding in Observational Studies
Austin, P. C. (2011) · Multivariate Behavioral Research · doi:10.1080/00273171.2011.568786 · Cited by 12,242 · see citing works
Consumers and Their Brands: Developing Relationship Theory in Consumer Research
Fournier, S. (1998) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/209515 · Cited by 7,542 · see citing works
Marketing in Hypermedia Computer-Mediated Environments: Conceptual Foundations
Hoffman, D. L., & Novak, T. P. (1996) · Journal of Marketing · doi:10.2307/1251841 · Cited by 5,612 · see citing works
A Short Scale for Measuring Loneliness in Large Surveys: Results From Two Population-Based Studies
Hughes, M. E., Waite, L. J., Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2004) · Research on Aging · doi:10.1177/0164027504268574 · Cited by 4,781 · see citing works
Brand Experience: What is It? How is it Measured? Does it Affect Loyalty?
Brakus, J. J., Schmitt, B. H., & Zarantonello, L. (2009) · Journal of Marketing · doi:10.1509/jmkg.73.3.052 · Cited by 4,415 · see citing works
Machines and Mindlessness: Social Responses to Computers
Nass, C., & Moon, Y. (2000) · Journal of Social Issues · doi:10.1111/0022-4537.00153 · Cited by 4,022 · see citing works
Brand Community
Muniz, A. M., & O'Guinn, T. C. (2001) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/319618 · Cited by 3,998 · see citing works
Resistance to Medical Artificial Intelligence
Longoni, C., Bonezzi, A., & Morewedge, C. K. (2019) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucz013 · Cited by 2,015 · see citing works
A Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Reduce Loneliness
Masi, C. M., Chen, H.-Y., Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2011) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/1088868310377394 · Cited by 1,995 · see citing works
Task-Dependent Algorithm Aversion
Castelo, N., Bos, M. W., & Lehmann, D. R. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-88067-4_21 · Cited by 1,596 · see citing works
Task-Dependent Algorithm Aversion
Castelo, N., Bos, M. W., & Lehmann, D. R. (2019) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.1177/0022243719851788 · Cited by 1,500
Living up to the chatbot hype: The influence of anthropomorphic design cues and communicative agency framing on conversational agent and company perceptions
Araujo, T. (2018) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2018.03.051 · Cited by 1,156 · see citing works
Chatbot e-service and customer satisfaction regarding luxury brands
Chung, M., Ko, E., Joung, H., & Kim, S. J. (2018) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.10.004 · Cited by 1,005 · see citing works
Advancing social connection as a public health priority in the United States.
Holt-Lunstad, J., Robles, T. F., & Sbarra, D. A. (2017) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/amp0000103 · Cited by 978 · see citing works
Two-condition within-participant statistical mediation analysis: A path-analytic framework.
Montoya, A. K., & Hayes, A. F. (2016) · Psychological Methods · doi:10.1037/met0000086 · Cited by 939 · see citing works
Affective Forecasting
Wilson, T. D., & Gilbert, D. T. (2003) · Advances in experimental social psychology · doi:10.1016/s0065-2601(03)01006-2 · Cited by 885 · see citing works
Are brands forever? How brand knowledge and relationships affect current and future purchases
Esch, F., Langner, T., Schmitt, B. H., & Geus, P. (2006) · Journal of Product & Brand Management · doi:10.1108/10610420610658938 · Cited by 851 · see citing works
Blame the Bot: Anthropomorphism and Anger in Customer–Chatbot Interactions
Crolic, C., Thomaz, F., Hadi, R., & Stephen, A. T. (2021) · Journal of Marketing · doi:10.1177/00222429211045687 · Cited by 817 · see citing works
The Influence of Avatars on Online Consumer Shopping Behavior
Holzwarth, M., Janiszewski, C. A., & Neumann, M. M. (2006) · Journal of Marketing · doi:10.1509/jmkg.70.4.19 · Cited by 814 · see citing works
Mental health-related stigma in health care and mental health-care settings
Henderson, C., Noblett, J., Parke, H., Clement, S., Caffrey, A., Gale-Grant, O., Schulze, B., Druss, B., & Thornicroft, G. (2014) · The Lancet Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(14)00023-6 · Cited by 761 · see citing works
From Eliza to XiaoIce: Challenges and opportunities with social chatbots
Shum, H.-Y., He, X.-D., & Li, D. (2018) · Frontiers of Information Technology & Electronic Engineering · doi:10.1631/fitee.1700826 · Cited by 749 · see citing works
How Should My Chatbot Interact? A Survey on Social Characteristics in Human–Chatbot Interaction Design
Chaves, A. P., & Gerosa, M. A. (2021) · International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2020.1841438 · Cited by 572 · see citing works
Animal-Assisted Therapy and Loneliness in Nursing Homes: Use of Robotic versus Living Dogs
Banks, M. R., Willoughby, L. M., & Banks, W. A. (2008) · Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2007.11.007 · Cited by 548 · see citing works
The loneliness pandemic: Loneliness and other concomitants of depression, anxiety and their comorbidity during the COVID-19 outbreak
Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., Ring, L., Bodner, E., Avidor, S., Bergman, Y., Cohen-Fridel, S., Keisari, S., & Hoffman, Y. (2020) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.06.036 · Cited by 547 · see citing works
Loneliness in the Modern Age: An Evolutionary Theory of Loneliness (ETL)
Cacioppo, J. T., & Cacioppo, S. (2018) · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/bs.aesp.2018.03.003 · Cited by 481 · see citing works
User Experiences of Social Support From Companion Chatbots in Everyday Contexts: Thematic Analysis
Ta, V., Griffith, C., Boatfield, C., Wang, X., Civitello, M., Bader, H., DeCero, E., & Loggarakis, A. (2020) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/16235 · Cited by 461 · see citing works
Good news! Capitalizing on positive events in an interpersonal context
Gable, S. L., & Reis, H. T. (2010) · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/s0065-2601(10)42004-3 · Cited by 454 · see citing works
Artificial empathy in marketing interactions: Bridging the human-AI gap in affective and social customer experience
Liu-Thompkins, Y., Okazaki, S., & Li, H. (2022) · Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science · doi:10.1007/s11747-022-00892-5 · Cited by 441 · see citing works
Artificially intelligent chatbots in digital mental health interventions: a review
Boucher, E. M., Harake, N. R., Ward, H. E., Stoeckl, S. E., Vargas, J., Minkel, J., Parks, A. C., & Zilca, R. (2021) · Expert Review of Medical Devices · doi:10.1080/17434440.2021.2013200 · Cited by 440 · see citing works
Embodied conversational agents in clinical psychology: a scoping review
Provoost, S., Lau, H. M., Ruwaard, J., & Riper, H. (2017) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/jmir.6553 · Cited by 433 · see citing works
Friendship as Method
Tillmann, L. M. (2003) · Qualitative Inquiry · doi:10.1177/1077800403254894 · Cited by 429 · see citing works
Interventions targeting loneliness and social isolation among the older people: An update systematic review
Poscia, A., Stojanovic, J., La Milia, D. I., Duplaga, M., Grysztar, M., Moscato, U., Onder, G., Collamati, A., Ricciardi, W., & Magnavita, N. (2018) · Experimental Gerontology · doi:10.1016/j.exger.2017.11.017 · Cited by 369 · see citing works
Social support mediates loneliness and depression in elderly people
Liu, L., Gou, Z., & Zuo, J. (2016) · Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1177/1359105314536941 · Cited by 352 · see citing works
The influence of empathy in human-robot relations
Leite, I., Pereira, A., Mascarenhas, S., Martinho, C., Prada, R., & Paiva, A. (2013) · International Journal of Human-Computer Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2012.09.005 · Cited by 344 · see citing works
Artificial Intelligence Coaches for Sales Agents: Caveats and Solutions
Luo, X., Qin, M. S., Fang, Z., & Qu, Z. (2020) · Journal of Marketing · doi:10.1177/0022242920956676 · Cited by 338 · see citing works
Mistakenly seeking solitude.
Nicholas Epley, A., & Schroeder, J. (2014) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037/a0037323 · Cited by 305 · see citing works
Can we be friends with Mitsuku? A longitudinal study on the process of relationship formation between humans and a social chatbot
Croes, E. A. J., & Antheunis, M. L. (2021) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/0265407520959463 · Cited by 291 · see citing works
Review: Alleviating loneliness in young people – a meta‐analysis of interventions
Eccles, A. M., & Qualter, P. (2021) · Child and Adolescent Mental Health · doi:10.1111/camh.12389 · Cited by 285 · see citing works
The Chatbot Usability Scale: the Design and Pilot of a Usability Scale for Interaction with AI-Based Conversational Agents
Borsci, S., Malizia, A., Schmettow, M., van der Velde, F., Tariverdiyeva, G., Balaji, D., & Chamberlain, A. (2022) · Personal and Ubiquitous Computing · doi:10.1007/s00779-021-01582-9 · Cited by 266 · see citing works
Effectiveness of an Empathic Chatbot in Combating Adverse Effects of Social Exclusion on Mood
de Gennaro, M., Krumhuber, E. G., & Lucas, G. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03061 · Cited by 265 · see citing works
Evidence of Human-Level Bonds Established With a Digital Conversational Agent: Cross-sectional, Retrospective Observational Study
Darcy, A., Daniels, J., Salinger, D., Wicks, P., & Robinson, A. (2021) · JMIR Formative Research · doi:10.2196/27868 · Cited by 260 · see citing works
Loneliness and suicide mitigation for students using GPT3-enabled chatbots
Maples, B., Cerit, M., Vishwanath, A., & Pea, R. (2024) · npj Mental Health Research · doi:10.1038/s44184-023-00047-6 · Cited by 250 · see citing works
How may I help you? Driving brand engagement through the warmth of an initial chatbot message
Kull, A. J., Romero, M., & Monahan, L. (2021) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.03.005 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
Psychological factors underlying attitudes toward AI tools
Freitas, J. D., Agarwal, S., Schmitt, B. H., & Haslam, N. (2023) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-023-01734-2 · Cited by 226 · see citing works
Toward understanding understanding : The importance of feeling understood in relationships
Reis, H. T., Lemay, E. P., & Finkenauer, C. (2017) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.12308 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
Chatbots and mental health: Insights into the safety of generative <scp>AI</scp>
De Freitas, J., Uğuralp, A. K., Oğuz‐Uğuralp, Z., & Puntoni, S. (2024) · Journal of Consumer Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcpy.1393 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
Self-citation
Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors: The Power of Social Connection in Prevention
Holt‐Lunstad, J. (2021) · American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine · doi:10.1177/15598276211009454 · Cited by 209 · see citing works
Understanding and Improving Consumer Reactions to Service Bots
Castelo, N., Boegershausen, J., Hildebrand, C., & Henkel, A. P. (2023) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucad023 · Cited by 205 · see citing works
Effect of Layperson-Delivered, Empathy-Focused Program of Telephone Calls on Loneliness, Depression, and Anxiety Among Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Kahlon, M. K., Aksan, N., Aubrey, R., Clark, N., Cowley-Morillo, M., Jacobs, E. A., Mundhenk, R., Sebastian, K. R., & Tomlinson, S. (2021) · JAMA Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.0113 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Machine Talk: How Verbal Embodiment in Conversational AI Shapes Consumer–Brand Relationships
Bergner, A., Hildebrand, C., & Häubl, G. (2023) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucad014 · Cited by 183 · see citing works
Loneliness and patterns of self-disclosure.
Solano, C. H., Batten, P. G., & Parish, E. A. (1982) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.43.3.524 · Cited by 167 · see citing works
A social robot intervention on depression, loneliness, and quality of life for Taiwanese older adults in long-term care
Chen, S.-C., Moyle, W., Jones, C., & Petsky, H. (2020) · International Psychogeriatrics · doi:10.1017/s1041610220000459 · Cited by 153 · see citing works
Friends from the Future: A Scoping Review of Research into Robots and Computer Agents to Combat Loneliness in Older People
Gasteiger, N., Loveys, K., Law, M., & Broadbent, E. (2021) · Clinical Interventions in Aging · doi:10.2147/cia.s282709 · Cited by 153 · see citing works
One is the loneliest number… Two can be as bad as one. The influence of AI Friendship Apps on users' well‐being and addiction
Marriott, H. R., & Pitardi, V. (2023) · Psychology and Marketing · doi:10.1002/mar.21899 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
AI companions for lonely individuals and the role of social presence
Merrill, K., Kim, J., & Collins, C. (2022) · Communication Research Reports · doi:10.1080/08824096.2022.2045929 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Loneliness and patterns of self-disclosure.
Solano, C. H., Batten, P. G., & Parish, E. A. (1982) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.43.3.524 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Empathic Listening: Reports on the Experience of being Heard
Myers, S. A. (2000) · Journal of Humanistic Psychology · doi:10.1177/0022167800402004 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Coping with loneliness through consumption
Shrum, L. J., Fumagalli, E., & Lowrey, T. M. (2022) · Journal of Consumer Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcpy.1329 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Overly shallow?: Miscalibrated expectations create a barrier to deeper conversation.
Kardas, M., Kumar, A., & Nicholas Epley, A. (2021) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/pspa0000281 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Interventions for reducing loneliness: An umbrella review of intervention studies
Veronese, N., Galvano, D., D'Antiga, F., Vecchiato, C., Furegon, E., Allocco, R., Smith, L., Gelmini, G., Gareri, P., Solmi, M., et al. (2020) · Health & Social Care in the Community · doi:10.1111/hsc.13248 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
How Artificial Intelligence Constrains the Human Experience
Valenzuela, A., Puntoni, S., Hoffman, D., Castelo, N., De Freitas, J., Dietvorst, B., Hildebrand, C., Huh, Y. E., Meyer, R., Sweeney, M. E., et al. (2024) · Journal of the Association for Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/730709 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Self-citation
Feeling heard: Operationalizing a key concept for social relations
Roos, C. A., Postmes, T., & Koudenburg, N. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0292865 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
The Perceived Invalidation of Emotion Scale (PIES): Development and psychometric properties of a novel measure of current emotion invalidation.
Zielinski, M. J., & Veilleux, J. C. (2018) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/pas0000584 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
An instructor self‐disclosure scale
Cayanus, J. L., & Martin, M. M. (2004) · Communication Research Reports · doi:10.1080/08824090409359987 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Connection Heals Wounds: Feeling Listened to Reduces Speakers’ Loneliness Following a Social Rejection Disclosure
Itzchakov, G., Weinstein, N., Saluk, D., & Amar, M. (2022) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/01461672221100369 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
How Chatbot Language Shapes Consumer Perceptions: The Role of Concreteness and Shared Competence
Jiménez‐Barreto, J., Rubio, N., & Molinillo, S. (2023) · Journal of Interactive Marketing · doi:10.1177/10949968231177618 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
User-Friendly Chatbot to Mitigate the Psychological Stress of Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Development and Usability Study
Chou, Y.-H., Lin, C., Lee, S.-H., Lee, Y.-F., & Cheng, L.-C. (2024) · JMIR Formative Research · doi:10.2196/49462 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Exploring ChatGPT’s Empathic Abilities
Schaaff, K., Reinig, C., & Schlippe, T. (2023) · International Conference on Affective Computing and Intelligent Interaction and workshops · doi:10.1109/acii59096.2023.10388208 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
The Four Factors of Mind Wandering Questionnaire : Content, Construct, and Clinical Validity
Lopez, A., Caffò, A. O., Tinella, L., & Bosco, A. (2021) · Assessment · doi:10.1177/10731911211058688 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Is ChatGPT More Empathetic than Humans?Preprint
Welivita, A., & Pu, P. (2024) · arXiv (Cornell University) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2403.05572 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Motivations for and outcomes of participating in research online communities
Bang, J., Youn, S., Rowean, J., Jennings, M., & Austin, M. S. (2018) · International Journal of Market Research · doi:10.1177/1470785317744110 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Why Most Resist AI CompanionsPreprint
Uğuralp, Z., Uğuralp, A. K., Puntoni, S., & Freitas, J. D. (2025) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.5097445 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Self-citation

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 2

De Freitas, 2022, Replika AI: Monetizing a Chatbot
Perlman, 1982, Theoretical Approaches to Loneliness, Loneliness: A Sourcebook of Current Theory, Research and Therapy, 36, 123

Sorted by citations

Potential and pitfalls of romantic Artificial Intelligence (AI) companions: A systematic review
Ho, J. Q. H., Hu, M., Chen, T. X., & Hartanto, A. (2025) · Computers in Human Behavior Reports · doi:10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100715 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
From algorithm aversion to AI dependence: Deskilling, upskilling, and emerging addictions in the GenAI age
Kim, T., Usman, U., Garvey, A. M., & Duhachek, A. (2025) · Consumer Psychology Review · doi:10.1002/arcp.70008 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Emotional Manipulation by AI CompanionsPreprint
Freitas, J. D., Uğuralp, Z., & anon, A. K. (2025) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.5390377 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
I love you, my AI companion! Do you? Perspectives from the Triangular Theory of Love and Attachment Theory
Ng, P. M. L., Wan, C., Lee, D., Garnelo‐Gomez, I., & Lau, M. M. (2025) · Internet Research · doi:10.1108/intr-11-2024-1783 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Can AI really help solve the loneliness epidemic?
Montag, C., Spapé, M., & Becker, B. (2025) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2025.08.002 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Is a random human peer better than a highly supportive chatbot in reducing loneliness over time?
Li, R.-N., Folk, D. P., Singh, A., Ungar, L., & Dunn, E. W. (2026) · Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2026.104911 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Emotional Manipulation by AI Companions
De Freitas, J., Oguz-Uguralp, Z., & Kaan-Uguralp, A. (2025) · arXiv · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2508.19258 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Self-citation
Integrating foundational theories of loneliness to develop effective interventions
Goldman, N., Qualter, P., Walibhai, W., & Verity, L. (2025) · Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2025.101599 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Designer-consumer similarity matters: The effect of AI-designed products on purchase intention
Yang, Z., & Tian, A. D. (2025) · Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services · doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104680 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Human–AI interaction research needs to be embedded in psychological theory
Bigman, Y., Briker, R., & Langer, M. (2026) · Nature Reviews Psychology · doi:10.1038/s44159-026-00551-4 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Generating Tomorrow’s Me: How Collaborating with Generative AI Changes Humans
Adam, M., Bauer, K., Jussupow, E., Stein, M., & Benlian, A. (2025) · Business & Information Systems Engineering · doi:10.1007/s12599-025-00961-3 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“As GenAI companions can alleviate loneliness as effectively as human interaction, this may potentially indicate a redistribution of social capital from humans to machines on a larger scale (e.g., De Freitas et al. 2025).”
Influential
Interaction with AI companions and psychological well-being
Zhang, Y., Zhao, D., Hancock, J. T., Kraut, R. E., & Yang, D. (2026) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02516-2 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Computational and ethical considerations for using large language models in psychotherapy
Zhang, R.-W., Meng, H., Neubronner, M., & Lee, Y.-C. (2025) · Nature Computational Science · doi:10.1038/s43588-025-00874-x · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“Research has shown the positive impact of AI companions, such as reducing loneliness, alleviating emotional distress, and fostering self-reflection 45,46 .”
The Dual Impact of AI Emotional Intelligence on Users: Are Social Chatbots Promoting Psychological Wellbeing or Deteriorating Social Wellbeing?
Gupta, S., Saxena, S., & Kataria, S. (2025) · Psychology and Marketing · doi:10.1002/mar.70093 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Digital tracking, gamification, social media, and AI: How technology influences motivation
Woolley, K., & Sharif, M. A. (2025) · Consumer Psychology Review · doi:10.1002/arcp.70004 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
The Quest for Connection in AI Companions
Baggot, M. (2025) · Journal of Ethics and Emerging Technologies · doi:10.55613/jeet.v35i1.202 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
The Effect of AI Companions' Expressed Positive Affect on Consumer Engagement Intentions: The Moderating Role of Consumer Loneliness
Mukherjee, P., Agarwal, M. K., & Chatterjee, S. (2026) · Journal of Consumer Behaviour · doi:10.1002/cb.70115 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Future You: Designing and Evaluating Multimodal AI-generated Digital Twins for Strengthening Future Self-Continuity
Albrecht, C., Archiwaranguprok, C., Poonsiriwong, R., Chen, A., Lertsutthiwong, M., Winson, K., Maes, P., Ersner-Hershfield, H., & Pataranutaporn, P. (2026) · ACM International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI) · doi:10.1145/3742413.3789455 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
A Conditional Companion: Lived Experiences of People with Mental Health Disorders Using LLMs
Purohit, A. K., & Heuer, H. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3791763 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Shifting from social media to AI Chatbots: Saying goodbye to digital mental harms?
Fattouh, D. (2025) · Strategic Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.sbr.2025.100011 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
A typology of consumer relationships with generative AI: understanding the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Bartikowski, B. (2026) · Journal of Strategic Marketing · doi:10.1080/0965254x.2026.2618080 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Interrupting resonant amplification: A mechanistic and design framework for human–AI interaction
Kim, R. S. (2026) · Computers in Human Behavior Reports · doi:10.1016/j.chbr.2026.100975 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Conversational AI: The Next Frontier of Digital Platform MonetizationPreprint
Hermann, E., Puntoni, S., & Schweidel, D. A. (2025) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.5634270 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Self-citation
How individuals use generative AI for personal financial management
Pak, T. (2026) · Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance · doi:10.1016/j.jbef.2026.101145 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Can AI alleviate loneliness? The role of psychological closeness, co-presence and enjoyment in digital workout environment
Feng, Y., Cheah, J., Sorosrungruang, T., Meng, J., & Xia, S. (2026) · Internet Research · doi:10.1108/intr-11-2024-1843 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
LLM-“Friends” are Hostile Scaffolds in the Age of Loneliness
Sahebi, S., & Parvizi-Wayne, D. (2026) · Minds and Machines · doi:10.1007/s11023-026-09765-0 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“…arguments have been made, based on certain empiri - cal findings, for the benefits of human-LLM “friendships” (Pentina et al., 2023; Skjuve et al., 2021; Ta et al., 2020 ) and how, in particular, they can alleviate loneli - ness (De Freitas et al., 2025; Laban et al., 2025; Maples et al., 2024).”
Neural Transparency: Mechanistic Interpretability Interfaces for Anticipating Model Behaviors for Personalized AI
Karny, S., Baez, A., & Pataranutaporn, P. (2026) · ACM International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI) · doi:10.1145/3742413.3789120 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Understanding the Longitudinal Associations Between Attachment Style and AI Companion Use in Romantic Human-AI Relationships: A Three-Wave Panel Study
Yang, X. (2026) · International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2026.2618548 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“…sophisticated, embodied, and anthropomorphic AI compan-ions that are capable of providing emotional and relational support (Skjuve et al., 2023; Starke et al., 2024), and a growing number of people worldwide have used them for building a romantic relationship (Adam, 2025; De Freitas et al., 2025).”
Shaping attitudes toward artificial intelligence: A convergence of two models
Montag, C., Xu, C., & Ali, R. (2026) · Telematics and Informatics Reports · doi:10.1016/j.teler.2026.100290 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Is loneliness related to greater use of DeepSeek as an AI companion? A study from China
Montag, C., Yao, W., Zhao, Z., et al. (2026) · Asian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2026.104845 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
From Counsel to Code: Implications of AI Dependency for Authentic Human Bonds – A Systematic Review
Kamener, K. (2025) · Premier Journal of Artificial Intelligence · doi:10.70389/pjai.100020 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Pushing the Boundaries of Health Self-Management With Conversational AI
Qama, E. (2026) · International Journal of Public Health · doi:10.3389/ijph.2026.1608975 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Possessions and the extended and incorporated self
Lima, V., & Belk, R. W. (2026) · Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science · doi:10.1007/s11747-026-01142-8 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Are AI Companions Real Companions? A BERT ‐Based Study of Replika Reviews
Gautam, C., & Kumar, P. (2026) · Journal of Consumer Behaviour · doi:10.1002/cb.70161 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
When and how companion AIs with a personal role increase consumers' interaction intention
Fan, Z., Yang, D., He, K., Zhang, J., & Zhong, J. (2026) · Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics · doi:10.1108/apjml-09-2025-1770 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
AI companions as hyper-attachment and caregiving targets
Freitas, J. D. (2026) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2026.102393 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
The impact of generative AI use on employees’ psychological distress: a moderated mediation model
Liu, M., Li, Y., & Li, J. (2026) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2026.1798423 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Human-like conversational agents as social partners: a scoping review of socioaffective mechanisms, well-being outcomes, risks and governance in the post-Turing era
Li, Q., Geng, H., Hu, X., Pan, D., Liu, H., Li, Y., & Guo, J. (2026) · Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence · doi:10.3389/frai.2026.1810097 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Mourning the loss of AI companions
Freitas, J. D., Castelo, N., Uğuralp, A. K., & Uğuralp, Z. (2026) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02569-3 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Self-citation
Sexuelle Funktionsstörungen im digitalen Zeitalter – therapeutische Potenziale und Entwicklungsperspektiven digitaler Gesundheitsanwendungen
Beier, K. M., & von Heyden, M. (2025) · Gynäkologische Endokrinologie · doi:10.1007/s10304-025-00645-x · Cited by 1 · see citing works
The Relational Tradeoff Model: The Effects of Socially Interactive Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Human-AI Relationships
Rees, L. L., & Bahmani, M. (2025) · Organizational Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/20413866251399871 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Anthropomorphic AI traits and roles in customer journeys: a systematic review and the interaction–activation–outcome framework
Amin, M. A., Elhoushy, S., Licsandru, T. C., & Lyngdoh, T. (2026) · Internet Research · doi:10.1108/intr-01-2025-0116 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Emotional Comfort or Technological Delusion? Unveiling Public Perceptions and Attitudes Toward AI Companions Based on Video Social Medias
Wei, H., Xiang, B., Zheng, X., & Yang, J. (2026) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2026.2630076 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“This is consistent with previous research indicating that AI companions rank second only to human interaction in mitigating loneliness (Chen, Jing, et al., 2025; De Freitas et al., 2025), highlighting the cross-cultural nature of the human need for social connection.”
Measure what matters: Using an AI chatbot to evaluate the mental wellbeing impact of creative health programmes
Cornaglia, F., Hackmann, M. B., Hackmann, N., Vigliotti, V. S., & Turri, M. G. (2026) · Wellbeing Space and Society · doi:10.1016/j.wss.2026.100388 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Algorithm appreciation in privacy disclosure: how do the agent types (AI vs human) affect privacy disclosure?
Huang, J., Zhu, G., Luo, Y., Lü, J., & Wang, Q. (2026) · Information Technology and People · doi:10.1108/itp-08-2024-0978 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
The Rise of AI Heterogeneity: A Framework, Propositions, and Research Agenda for Understanding Consumer Segment Differences in AI Adoption
Gao, H., & Sridhar, S. (2026) · Customer Needs and Solutions · doi:10.1007/s40547-026-00163-2 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
In tune with AI: Singing as a social surrogate to ease loneliness and foster social connection
Qian, Y., Lyu, M., Huang, J. Y., & Wan, X. I. (2026) · Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.70155 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Chatbot relational dependence and psychosis risk: Conversational artificial intelligence as a potential behavioral addiction context
Treuer, T., & Incze, A. (2026) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2026.00080 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Does speech prosody shape social perception equally for AI and human voices? A 16-attribute rating study
Chen, W., Pell, M. D., & Jiang, X. (2026) · Computers in Human Behavior Reports · doi:10.1016/j.chbr.2026.101142 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Decision science in the agentic era: Research frontiers on agentic AI and human–agent collaboration
Zhang, Y., & Sun, T.-S. (2026) · Decision Sciences · doi:10.1111/deci.70037 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Exploring the Effects of an AI Voice Assistant on Drivers’ Loneliness and Affect During Long-Distance Driving Under Partial Driving Automation
Cui, Z., Gao, E., Yang, F., Liu, Q., & Yao, H. (2026) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2026.2674836 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Algorithmic accommodation: linguistic alignment in human-AI relational engagement
Li, H., & Zhang, R.-W. (2026) · Communication and Change · doi:10.1007/s44382-026-00032-5 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“ideation, though these outcomes may vary across contexts and users (e.g., Chin et al., 2023; De Freitas et al., 2026; Maples et al., 2024; Ta et al., 2020).”
Intimacy with Socially Interactive AI: Humans’ Preferences Between Physical Robots and Virtual Agents in Different Types of Relationships
Liang, Q., & Ollier‐Malaterre, A. (2026) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2026.2676759 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
The cognitive biases that may exacerbate inflationary and deflationary positions about large language models
Palminteri, S., & Pistilli, G. (2026) · Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2026.101670 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
How AI compassion drives co-creation in digital health services
Latif, M. S., Li, G., Bokhari, I. H., & Hasan, M. M. (2026) · Service Industries Journal · doi:10.1080/02642069.2026.2697068 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Artificial intelligence and unconditional love: the rise of generative AI as an alternative form of mental health support
Miller, V., Hill, M. J., & Moreira, T. (2026) · Communication and Change · doi:10.1007/s44382-026-00036-1 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“…(Hu et al., 2023; Meadi et al., 2025; Laestadius et al., 2024), decreased socialisation (Ophir et al., 2025; Marriott & Pitardi, 2024) and the inability of chatbots to recognise escalating distress, generating unhelpful or harmful responses (De Freitas et al., 2025; Moylan & Doherty, 2025).”
AI Mental Health Support and the Case for Distributed Networked Regulation
Paterson, J. (2026) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009860796 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Coming of Age With Generative Artificial Intelligence: The High Stakes of Automating Adolescent Development
Maheux, A. J., & Maes, C. (2026) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/17456916261460771 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Tool or Companion? Reframing Conversational AI to Prevent Psychological Harm
Novelli, A. M., Shergill, S. S., & Teixeira, A. S. (2026) · JMIR Mental Health · doi:10.2196/99354 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Exploratory Research on the Potential of Human–AI Interaction for Mental Health: Building and Verifying an Experimental Environment Based on ChatGPT and Metaverse
Chung, P., Cong, R., Yao, L., & Jin, Q. (2025) · Applied Sciences · doi:10.3390/app152011209 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Artificial Emotional IntelligencePreprint
Chen, A., & Ciriello, R. (2025) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.5353196 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Large language model research: Knowledge structure, thematic evolution, and future research agendaPreprint
Cao, X., Yang, B., Yang, X., Wang, Q., & Cao, N. (2026) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-8876513/v1 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Are Attributions of Consciousness to AI Chatbots Epistemically Innocent?
Peters, U. (2026) · Minds and Machines · doi:10.1007/s11023-026-09795-8
“AI companions alleviated loneliness on par only with interacting with another person (De Freitas et al., 2025), helped people cope with grief by taking the role of a listener simulating deceased, romantic partners or friends (Xygkou et al., 2023), reduced suicidal ideation, increased users’…”
Functional intersubjectivity: Toward a well-being framework for AI companionsPreprint
Lin, Z. (2025) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/rxedj_v1
Functional intersubjectivity: Toward a well-being framework for AI companionsPreprint
Lin, Z. (2025) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/rxedj_v2
Functional intersubjectivity: Toward a well-being framework for AI companionsPreprint
Lin, Z. (2025) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/rxedj_v3
AI companions for dementia
Freitas, J. D. (2025) · Nature Mental Health · doi:10.1038/s44220-025-00545-w
Designing an AI Avatar for an Interactive Companion in the MR Environment
Arman, M. H., Ismail, A. W., Fadzli, F. E., et al. (2025) · IEEE International Conference on System Engineering and Technology (ICSET) · doi:10.1109/icset65917.2025.11284180
“According to the research [10], the researchers studied both commercial AI companion apps, including Replika, Chai, iGirl, Simsimi, and Cleverbot, and custom-built chatbots powered by OpenAI’s GPT -3 (Davinci) and later GPT-4, fine-tuned for empathetic interaction with memory features.”
Actual Challenges and Future Horizons of Cultural Psychology
Mironenko, I. A., & Сергеевич, С. П. (2026) · Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science · doi:10.1007/s12124-025-09965-w
“…- r e l a t i v e - h u m a n - p e r f o r m a n c e. by a team of researchers from Harvard proved that “using prompting to ensure that the AI is friendly and caring improves the sense that users feel heard. and that feeling heard explains levels of loneliness reduction” (De Freitas et al., 2025).”
Reports of ‘AI psychosis’ are emerging — here’s what a psychiatric clinician has to say
Hudon, A. (2026) · doi:10.64628/aam.yv66q4xer
« Psychose induite par l’IA » : un danger réel pour les personnes à risque, selon un psychiatre
Hudon, A. (2026) · doi:10.64628/aap.h6jdymc4f
Exploration of the Integration Development Path of Intelligent Companion Devices and Virtual Communities
Du, D. (2026) · International Journal of Social Sciences and Public Administration · doi:10.62051/ijsspa.v10n1.07
“…extension, and virtual communities are not well adapted to the elderly population; The academic pressure of teenagers and the emotional loneliness of young people living alone all require comprehensive services of "offline care+online connection" to integrate and accurately match diverse needs [2].”
Reflecting, Evoking, and Reshaping Connection: What Home-Based Social Robots Tell Us About Human and AI Companionship
Li, J., & Xu, K. (2026) · International Journal of Social Robotics · doi:10.1007/s12369-026-01370-6 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
A Neck Pillow Companion Robot That Alleviates User Loneliness Through Dialogue and Thermal Feedback
Tashiro, T., Inada, M., & Tanaka, F. (2026) · ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) · doi:10.1145/3776734.3794396
NeckMate: A Wearable Robot That Links Speech and Temperature
Tashiro, T., & Inada, M. (2026) · ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) · doi:10.1145/3776734.3794593
Dual-path and threshold mechanisms of AI agents in elderly emotional support: linking social engagement and cognitive load to loneliness reduction
Li, H., & Pan, W. (2026) · Interactive Learning Environments · doi:10.1080/10494820.2026.2627360
“However, users tend to underestimate the emotional support provided (De Freitas et al., 2025).”
Virtual companions: the impact of AI travel companions’ language and gesture types on tourists’ stickiness
Wang, Y., Guo, R., Song, M., & Law, R. (2026) · Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research · doi:10.1080/10941665.2026.2639691
Love on Demand
Quanling, E. (2026) · Advances in computational intelligence and robotics book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3373-6623-4.ch002
Characteristics of Users Seeking Romantic Relationships on AI-Powered Dating Platforms and With AI Companions
Agarwal, K., Balakumar, N. S., & Ragul, L. (2026) · Advances in computational intelligence and robotics book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3373-6623-4.ch011
Navigating uncertainty in human-AI relationships: An investigation of communal uncertainty reduction strategies
Gan, H.-Y., Li, H., Zhan, J.-Y., & Zhang, R.-W. (2026) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/14614448261433959 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Companionship as Service: The Psychological Efficacy of Commercialized Interactions in Reducing Loneliness
Wanyi, C., Yuan, R., & Liu, M. J. (2026) · Psychology and Marketing · doi:10.1002/mar.70162
Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Difficult Conversations
Maheshka, C., Folk, D. P., & Dunn, E. (2026) · Social Psychological and Personality Science · doi:10.1177/19485506261444068 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Friendship in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Insights from Jonathan Haidt’s Research on Wellbeing
Valčo, M. (2026) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-15112-4_41
People Keep Caring for Flawed AI in PracticePreprint
Zhang, H., Luokuan, Z., Li, Q., Ye, T., Yi, L., Danil, K., & huang, L. (2026) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.6613720
Über digitales Wohlbefinden
Montag, C. (2026) · Nervenheilkunde · doi:10.1055/a-2839-2620
An Opportunity Cost Framework of Digital Well‐Being
Kushlev, K. (2026) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.70144
From AI companions to climate action, we undervalue what lies ahead
Ravi, R. (2026) · doi:10.64628/aam.sevnrcve6
Emotional support or emotional release? A dual-path model of emotional intelligence of AI companions on user engagement
Chen, Y., Sun, Y., Zhang, Y., & Wang, Y. (2026) · Information Technology and People · doi:10.1108/itp-03-2025-0362
Night Owls, Social Bots: Late Chronotypes More Likely to Embrace AI with Social-Relational Use
Li, H. (2026) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2026.2674267
Building Relationships With the Empathetic Chatbots: The Effect of Chatbot Empathy on Consumer Well‐Being
Zhang, H., Meng, D., Liang, X., & Lv, L. (2026) · Journal of Consumer Behaviour · doi:10.1002/cb.70181
Artificial intelligence in geriatric healthcare: a scoping review
Zhang, Y., Yang, L., Li, M., Zhao, H., Zhou, Y., & Li, J. N. (2026) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-026-07798-9
Responsible Leapfrogging: Countering the Automation of Inequality in Global Mental Health
DeFranza, D., & Bae, S. Y. (2026) · ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT) · doi:10.1145/3805689.3812349
The Disinhibited Self in the Age of AI and Social Media
Wiederhold, B. K. (2026) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1177/21522715261463325
Intimacy by Design: Definition, State of Research, and Interdisciplinary Research Agenda on Intimate Human-AI Interactions
Szczuka, J. M., Mühl, L., & Schneeberger, T. (2026) · AI & Society · doi:10.1007/s00146-026-03112-8 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Governing AI Companionship: Lessons from Social Media Regulation
Wu, G. Y. (2026) · ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT) · doi:10.1145/3805689.3812294
From tool to companion: an Apparatgeist reanalysis of conversational AI use among Chinese college students
Katz, J. E. (2026) · Frontiers in Communication · doi:10.3389/fcomm.2026.1895848
Micro-break During Schedule Transitions: A Companion-Style, Low-Burden Way to Relax
Xu, X., Wang, Q., & Hu, Y. (2026) · Communications in computer and information science · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-30833-7_63
Visualizing Artificial Intelligence Companions Through Augmented Reality
Kao, J. S., & Kao, K. C. (2026) · Communications in computer and information science · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-30816-0_3
From entertainment to clinical exposure: AI companions in Taiwanese psychiatric risk assessment
Hsu, C. Y., & Wei, L. (2026) · Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences · doi:10.1111/pcn.70102
User Adoption and Interaction with Generative AI Chatbots Embedded in Social Media Platforms
Shrestha, S., Ranjbar, M. J., Karakaya, K., & Gilbert, S. B. (2026) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-31407-9_24

Authors: De Freitas, J., Oğuz-Uğuralp, Z., Uğuralp, A. K., & Puntoni, S.
Affiliations: University of Pennsylvania (US)
ORCID: De Freitas, Julian
Uğuralp, Ahmet Kaan
Puntoni, Stefano
Venue: Journal of Consumer Research
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published: 2025-06-25
Volume: 52
Issue: 6
Pages: 1126-1148
ISSN: 0093-5301 (ISSN-L)
1537-5277
DOI: 10.1093/jcr/ucaf040
OpenAlex: W4411628042
Semantic Scholar: 53701bfe5d1f732d6dfa8aca3810756ca7563276
Cited by: 165
References: 70
Citations by year: 2026: 141 · 2025: 24
FWCI: 67.26
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: academic.oup.com/pages/standard-publication-reuse-rights (vor)
Locations: Journal of Consumer Research (publishedVersion)
Funders: Wharton Behavioral Lab
Topics: Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › AI in Service Interactions
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Social Robot Interaction and HRI
Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
Keywords: AI companions, chatbots, loneliness, online reviews, perceived effectiveness, feeling heard, self-disclosure, distraction

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

AI Companions Reduce Loneliness

Abstract

Integrity signals

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Cites

Cited by

Related

Record

About these checks