Welcome to the forefront of conversational AI as we explore the fascinating world of AI chatbots in our dedicated blog series. Discover the latest advancements, applications, and strategies that propel the evolution of chatbot technology. From enhancing customer interactions to streamlining business processes, these articles delve into the innovative ways artificial intelligence is shaping the landscape of automated conversational agents. Whether you’re a business owner, developer, or simply intrigued by the future of interactive technology, join us on this journey to unravel the transformative power and endless possibilities of AI chatbots.
By Elon University News Bureau, staff
September 2, 2026
A new survey finds that 27% of U.S. adult internet users have social and emotional interactions with artificial intelligence systems, with a third of those users considering their AI bot as a friend.
The age of companion bots has arrived. A new survey by Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center finds that 27% of U.S. adults who use the internet have significant emotional or social interactions with artificial intelligence large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Copilot.
These AI users use LLMs in ways that build bonds of connection, confidence and trust. Some have developed aspects of reliance on AI tools and prefer interacting with them to dealing with humans. They confide in them, seek advice on important life issues, roleplay scenarios that they might encounter in romantic or other settings and would be unhappy to lose access to their bots.
The people who have used LLMs for social, emotional and personal purposes are known as “AI companion users” and a representative sample of 1,000 of them were surveyed to discover how they use their social bots, the nature of their relationships and the impact of their encounters with these systems.
These AI companions serve important, sensitive purposes and fulfill key roles in users’ lives. Some of the major findings:
“Futurists and cultural commentators have wondered what would happen once artificial systems became connected and companionable with humans,” said Lee Rainie, director of Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center. “The findings in our new study provide the first wave of insights about these emerging relationships as large language models like ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot are adopted by people and as AI agents become part of the landscape. They are harbingers of a future in which many more people will likely have these kinds of relationships.”
Notable shares of AI companion users said they use their bots and turn to them in personal – sometimes intimate – ways:
Some companion users explore key life issues with their bots. Asked about some consequential ways they might interact with their AI companion:
This survey was developed as a collaboration between the Elon University Imagining the Digital Future Center and the Elon University Poll. It was fielded by the international marketing and polling firm YouGov as an online, web-based survey. Between May 18 and May 22, 2026, YouGov interviewed 4,268 U.S. internet-using adults 18+ years old, with the goal of screening for and surveying AI users with emotional or social use of AI.
The total U.S. adult internet-using sample was then matched down to a sample of 4,031, yielding a target subsample of 1,000 AI users with emotional or social use of AI. The respondents were matched to a sampling frame on gender, age, race, and education. Further details on the methodology can be found in this document.
Imagining the Digital Future is an interdisciplinary research center focused on the human impact of accelerating digital change and the socio-technical challenges that lie ahead. The Center was established in 2000 as Imagining the Internet and renamed with an expanded research agenda in 2024. It is funded and operated by Elon University, a nationally ranked private university located in Elon, North Carolina.
Academics & Research
Artificial Intelligence Elon University Poll Imagining the Digital Future Center
People in this article:
Lee Rainie
Director of the Imagining the Digital Future Center
The institutional repository will support a more centralized and accessible approach to preserving the university’s history, scholarship and teaching output. The system, Elon Collect, officially launched on Aug. 14.
Thirty-nine members of the Class of 2027 were selected to represent Elon Law at national Moot Court and Mock Trial competitions.
The innovative partnership pairs commercial jersey patch with mental health support for student-athletes.
The couple’s gift continues a decades-long tradition of investing in student success and Elon’s iconic learning environment.
Get more Elon news delivered to your inbox.
Loading
© 2026 Elon University | All Rights Reserved
