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By University Communications, staff
September 2, 2026
The Washington Post highlighted the research in a story titled “‘A friend I can trust’: How Americans described their relationship with AI.”
New research from Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center was featured prominently in The Washington Post on Sept. 2, highlighting how Americans are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for personal, emotional and social interactions.
The article, “A friend I can trust’: How Americans described their relationship with AI,” draws on a new Elon University survey. The research found that 27% of Americans use AI chatbots for personal, emotional or social queries, including entertainment, relationship advice, romantic conversations or connection when they are alone.
That use is particularly common among younger Americans. Almost 40% of adults under 50 reported using AI in those ways, more than twice the rate among older adults. Half of those who use AI for personal or emotional interactions said talking with a chatbot makes them feel better when they are stressed or upset.
Lee Rainie, director of Elon’s Imagining the Digital Future Center, led the research project and told The Washington Post that the findings reveal a complex relationship between Americans and AI.
“There are ways in which people are struggling with this, there are ways in which they’re delighted with it, there are ways in which they’re wary of it,” Rainie said. “It’s a complicated, muddy, interesting picture.”
Among those who regularly use AI for personal and emotional conversations, nearly four in 10 said they sometimes talk to AI to feel less alone, while nearly one-third consider the chatbot they use most often to be a friend. Nearly four in 10 also said they have shared things with AI that they would not tell other people.
The findings also point to potential concerns. More than one-third of regular AI companion users said chatbots agree with them too much, and 15% said interacting with the technology makes them feel less in touch with reality. At the same time, nearly 60% said AI was helpful in making personal decisions.
Academics & Research
Imagining the Digital Future Center News Bureau
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Lee Rainie
Director of the Imagining the Digital Future Center
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