People with high social anxiety are more likely to feel lonely and ruminate. This makes them more dependent on conversations with neural networks like ChatGPT or Apple Siri. These conclusions were reached by scientists from the City University of Hong Kong, who published the results of their research. work In Computers in Human Behavior.
The above neural networks are chatbots with artificial intelligence that can operate in dialogue mode. The authors say the rise of speech-based AI could lead to people becoming more dependent on them. Personalized conversational AI responses and the human-like nature of conversations can keep users connected to their devices longer and create strong bonds to such technologies.
Study participants were 516 users, often communicating with neural networks. All filled out a questionnaire to assess the degree of loneliness, tendency to ruminate and obsessive thoughts, mind perception of artificial intelligence, and overuse of neural networks.
The researchers concluded that socially engaged people can use speech AI to compensate for their lack of social interaction.