"What Should I Say Next?"... U.S. Gen Z and Millennials Rely on AI for Everything from Dating Texts to Real-Time Conversations

US Millennials and Gen Z Turn to AI for Everything from Texts to Real-Time Chats
Experts Say "AI Cannot Replace Emotional Connection"

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is now taking on the role of a "conversation coach," extending beyond work and learning. An increasing number of young people are seeking AI’s help not only to refine their text messages, but also to decide what to say in real-life conversations.

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From text messages to real-time conversations... AI as a "conversation coach"

On July 26 (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that younger generations in the United States are incorporating generative AI into their everyday conversations.

They use AI to write opening lines and text messages for dating apps, as well as to receive real-time advice about what to say to someone in person. If a book they haven’t read comes up during a conversation, they can refer to a summary generated by AI to keep the conversation going.

Niharika Abaraju (20) shared, “I ask AI for conversation topics to bring up at a party, and if a book or article I’m unfamiliar with comes up, I have AI summarize it for me on the spot.” She added, “It’s not that AI is thinking for me—it just makes the conversation a little smoother.”

Carlin Lincoln (20), a college student, said, “When I’m angry, I use AI to edit the email I plan to send so I can calm down before sending it.” However, she confessed that after following AI advice before talking with friends, “I actually needed to do the opposite,” and acknowledged that “AI doesn’t always have the right answer.”

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"Confiding in AI and sorting through emotions"... Concerns it may increase loneliness

According to a survey recently featured by Business Insider, 23% of Americans under the age of 30 said they have confided worries or secrets to AI that they couldn’t share with another person. Increasingly, people are treating AI not just as an information search tool, but also as a confidant to whom they express concerns and process emotions.

However, experts warn that replacing human relationships with AI could be dangerous. Ashley Golden, a clinical psychologist at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, told the WSJ, “General-purpose chatbots are designed to enhance productivity, not relationships.” She went on, “Relying on AI for conversation may give the impression that you’re not sincere with others, and over time, it could erode your own trust in your judgment.”

Research also shows that long-term AI reliance may increase feelings of loneliness. In a recent study published in the journal Psychological Science, researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada found that the more frequently people converse with AI, the more their sense of loneliness may grow over time. The researchers concluded, “AI may help with momentary comfort or emotional processing, but it cannot replace the emotional exchange that comes from real relationships with people.”

Experts emphasize that there is a distinction between using AI as an "auxiliary tool" and treating it as a "proxy." Alexandra Friedman, a relationship coach in Seattle, told the WSJ, “Discomfort is a feeling everyone experiences. Technology cannot feel those emotions for you, and in the end, real relationships must be formed directly, person to person.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.