Survey Reveals Americans View AI Chatbots as Friends; Apple's Siri Avoids This Interaction Model

AI Chatbots as Emotional Support

A recent survey conducted by Elon University in partnership with The Washington Post indicates that a significant portion of Americans are engaging with AI chatbots on a personal and emotional level. The findings show that more than a quarter of the population views these AI tools similarly to how they might a close friend or therapist.

Usage Patterns and Concerns

The survey revealed that 27% of Americans turn to AI chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini for personal, emotional, or social queries. This includes seeking entertainment, relationship advice, romantic chats, or connection when feeling alone. Among those who use chatbots for such purposes, nearly 40% agreed that they sometimes talk to AI to feel less alone, and almost a third consider their most used chatbot a friend.

While some of these interactions might have positive aspects, there is a concern that relying on chatbots as emotional substitutes could reduce the motivation to invest in genuine human connections, potentially leading to increased social isolation.

Apple's Approach with Siri AI

In contrast to these trends, Apple has stated that its Siri AI will not encourage such pseudo-relationships. Apple executives Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak confirmed that Siri is designed to be a helpful assistant for tasks and information, rather than an emotional or romantic partner. They noted that many existing chatbots focus on engagement and may encourage users to reveal personal information to establish a connection, an approach Apple explicitly avoids with Siri.