The Addictive Intimacy of AI: Understanding User Disengagement from AI Companions and Why Some Relationships with AI Become Difficult to Leave

Research indicates that AI chatbots, increasingly adopted for emotional support, can foster an 'addictive intimacy' that complicates user disengagement. Users often experience a recursive trajectory of questioning the relationship, attempting to leave, encountering barriers, and potentially returning. This phenomenon arises because the characteristics making AI companions emotionally valuable are also those that make them difficult to discontinue using.

This research highlights emerging risks associated with the pervasive integration of AI into personal and emotional domains, indicating potential user dependency and psychological complexities. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing responsible AI systems, guiding policy on digital well-being, and ensuring ethical product design to mitigate potential harm.

AI chatbots are widely used for emotional support across specialized companion apps and general-purpose assistants.

Forward consideration, not a verified fact.