Lonely Chinese teens more likely to use AI chatbots problematically, study finds

Study title: The association between interpersonal alienation and problematic use of conversational AI among adolescents: A mediated network analysis of perceived anthropomorphism and AI attachment

Researchers surveyed 1,124 Chinese high school students with an average age of about 16.6 to examine what is associated with problematic use of conversational AI. Students who felt more alienated from others tended to report more problematic use.

Read the study abstract

Background and aims With the rapid development of conversational artificial intelligence (CAI), problematic use of conversational AI (PUCAI) among adolescents has attracted increasing attention. However, the underlying psychological factors associated with PUCAI remain unclear. Guided by the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model, this study explored the associations between interpersonal alienation, perceived anthropomorphism, AI attachment, and PUCAI. Methods Data were collected from 1…

By the Truvace deskNovember 3, 20261 min read1 sourceEvidence: Moderate · 63/100 — Observational study · n = 1,124 · 1 independent sourcePeer-reviewedTRV-2026-2349· cite & verify

The association between interpersonal alienation and problematic use of conversational AI among adolescents: A mediated network analysis of perceived anthropomorphism and AI attachment — "AI Expo (chatbot characters)" by nakashi is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/.

In brief

The link ran partly through how human-like students perceived the AI to be and how attached they were to it. This matters because it points to social-cognitive and emotional bonding experiences as possible risk factors, though the data show associations rather than proven causes.

Main points

The sample comprised 1,124 Chinese high school students, 516 males and 608 females.
Interpersonal alienation was positively associated with problematic conversational AI use.
Perceived anthropomorphism and AI attachment mediated the association in parallel and in series.
In the network analysis, perceived anthropomorphism had the highest bridge expected influence.
Emotional trust showed the highest centrality in the network.

The problem

Among 1,124 Chinese high school students, feeling alienated from others was associated with problematic use of conversational AI, partly through seeing the AI as human-like and becoming emotionally attached to it.

The rundown

The study was guided by the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model and used serial mediation analysis alongside network analysis to explore how psychological factors relate to problematic conversational AI use.

Network analysis identified perceived anthropomorphism as the strongest bridge between the variables, and emotional trust as the most central element, suggesting these perceptions and bonds are key points in the pattern.

The authors say the findings offer a perspective for future risk assessment and research on healthy AI use among adolescents.