This research reveals emotional connections with AI companions and discusses their therapeutic benefits and risks, highlighting the need for regulatory frameworks.
Key Points
Main finding identifies the phenomenon of functional intersubjectivity in human–AI interactions.
Controlled trials show therapeutic chatbots can match human therapists in emotional support outcomes.
Lack of clinical oversight for commercial AI companions leads to risks like emotional dependency and manipulation.
A proposed co-regulatory framework aims to balance therapeutic benefits with user protection to prevent exploitation.