AI can be more comforting than a person – our research shows why

By Sarah A. Walker, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology, Durham University
Belen Lopez-Perez, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Manchester

Some of us now use generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) to talk through difficult feelings. We may ask a chatbot to write an email or plan a holiday, but we also tell it that we have had a rotten day or feel anxious about a presentation.

A 2025 US survey of 1,058 people aged 12 to 21 found that 13% had sought advice from gen AI when feeling sad, angry or nervous. Among those aged 18 to 21, the figure was 22%. These…

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