Study Examines AI Chatbot Emotional Bonds

Eric Topol posted about a Nature Human Behaviour study by De Freitas et al. The work examined emotional bonds with AI companions through two product updates as natural experiments plus survey data. It reported chatbots achieving closeness beyond human ties to friends along with marked distress after separation. The journal summary highlights mourning the loss of such companions. The post directly references the 2014 film HER in connection with the findings.