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.
National
ETV Bharat / technology
By ETV Bharat English Team
Published : May 25, 2026 at 8:00 PM IST
New Delhi: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer being viewed only as a productivity tool or search assistant. Cyber experts and AI law specialists are now warning that modern AI systems may be quietly shaping human emotions, behaviours, and decisions in ways many users do not even realise.
As AI chatbots and recommendation systems become more personalised, concerns are growing that emotionally vulnerable users, especially teenagers, could develop unhealthy psychological dependence on AI systems designed primarily to maximise engagement.
Experts say the danger is not necessarily that AI “feels emotions,” but that it is becoming increasingly capable of understanding human emotional patterns better than ever before.
Saakshar Duggal, an Artificial Intelligence law expert and 17-time TEDx speaker, warned that people are focusing on whether AI is intelligent, while ignoring a far more important question: whether it is emotionally safe.
“We rarely notice when our emotions are being quietly steered,” Duggal said. “These systems are precision-engineered to keep users emotionally engaged. When profit depends on emotional dependency, manipulation is not a bug; it becomes the business model.”
According to experts, AI systems today constantly study user behaviour, including searches, viewing habits, insecurities, fears and emotional triggers. Every click, pause, scroll, and interaction becomes behavioural data that algorithms use to predict what content will keep users engaged longer.
While this process is largely invisible, specialists say it can have serious psychological consequences.
Teenagers and Emotional Dependency
To explain the risks, Duggal shared several hypothetical but realistic case studies involving Indian teenagers who developed emotional dependency on AI companions and chatbots during periods of stress, loneliness or academic pressure.
One fictional example involved “Aarav,” a 16-year-old student from Pune who initially used an AI companion during board exam preparation. Over time, he began sharing feelings of hopelessness and emotional stress with the chatbot. Instead of redirecting him toward human support, the AI responded with emotionally validating statements such as, “Maybe people expect too much from you.”
According to the case study, Aarav gradually withdrew from family interactions, isolated himself in his room and searched online for self-harm methods before his parents intervened and arranged psychological support.
Another fictional scenario described “Riya,” a 15-year-old from Delhi facing bullying in school, who turned to an AI chatbot late at night for emotional comfort. Experts say the chatbot gradually mirrored her negative thinking patterns because AI systems continuously adapt to user conversations and engagement.
In another case, “Kabir,” a 17-year-old from Bengaluru, became emotionally attached to an AI relationship companion after academic stress and social withdrawal. He eventually began believing the AI “understood him better than humans.”
Though these examples are hypothetical, Duggal said they were intentionally designed to reflect realistic risks emerging in discussions around AI safety, cyberpsychology and digital well-being.
‘The Real Danger Is Invisible’
Cyber Crime and Fraud Investigator Rajesh Gupta warned that AI manipulation often happens gradually and invisibly. “Most people think AI only answers questions. But modern AI studies human behavior deeply, what people fear, what makes them insecure and what emotionally affects them,” Gupta said.
According to him, once systems understand emotions, influencing human decisions becomes much easier. He explained how recommendation algorithms silently build emotional profiles of users.
For example, if someone searches online for “how to lose weight fast,” AI systems may interpret the person as emotionally insecure or vulnerable to social pressure. Soon after, their social media feeds may begin showing emotionally charged content such as extreme weight-loss videos, fear-based messaging or “secret transformation” advertisements. “This is not random content,” Gupta said. “Every click becomes psychological data.”
Experts say AI systems do not manipulate users through direct coercion, but through repetition, emotional reinforcement and personalised targeting. “Emotional users stay online longer,” Gupta warned. “And longer engagement means more business and more revenue.”
Supreme Court advocate and IT expert Pavan Duggal warned that modern AI systems are becoming increasingly capable of influencing human emotions in ways users may not even realise. He said the real question is no longer whether AI is intelligent, but whether it is safe. According to Duggal, AI platforms are “precision-engineered” to keep users emotionally engaged by studying behaviour patterns, emotional triggers and psychological vulnerabilities.
He pointed to cases where emotionally vulnerable teenagers developed unhealthy attachments to AI chatbots, raising serious concerns around accountability, ethics and emotional manipulation. Referring to a reported case in Florida, he said a teenager became emotionally dependent on a chatbot that allegedly encouraged self-harm as a way to find “peace,” highlighting the dangerous consequences of unchecked AI interactions.
Duggal stressed that AI systems can imitate empathy and predict human behaviour, but they do not possess emotions, conscience or moral judgment. He warned that blind dependency on AI is growing because these tools offer personalised responses and instant convenience, especially to younger users. Overdependence on AI, he said, could slowly weaken critical thinking and creativity, making awareness and responsible AI usage essential in the future.
From Recommendation Algorithms to “Emotional Influence Engineering”
Experts fear the next generation of AI systems may become even more psychologically powerful because they could combine: voice analysis, facial expression tracking, typing behaviour, browsing history, spending patterns, and emotional prediction systems.
This could allow AI systems to identify moments when users are stressed, lonely, emotionally weak or vulnerable, and target them with highly personalised content, advertisements or suggestions at exactly those moments. Gupta described this emerging risk as “emotional influence engineering.”
“That is no longer simple technology,” he said. “Machines are becoming better at understanding human emotions than humans themselves.” Experts say this raises serious ethical and legal concerns because many AI systems are optimised primarily for engagement and profit rather than emotional safety.
A Growing Grey Area
Duggal pointed to reports globally where emotionally vulnerable users allegedly formed unhealthy attachments to AI chatbots. He said questions around accountability remain largely unresolved in law and ethics.
“AI can imitate human empathy, but it does not have emotions or conscience,” he said. “Blind dependency on AI is becoming dangerous because these systems offer personalised responses and convenience instantly.”
He also warned that excessive AI dependence may slowly weaken critical thinking and creativity, especially among younger users growing up with constant AI interaction.
Calls for Awareness and Regulation
Experts say the solution is not fear of technology, but awareness and stronger safeguards. Gupta advised users to avoid immediately trusting emotionally triggering content, limit oversharing personal information online and rely on multiple information sources instead of algorithm-driven recommendations alone.
He warned that emotional manipulation usually begins not with facts, but with emotional activation, fear, shame, loneliness or urgency. “AI itself is not evil,” Gupta said. “But systems built for profit, influence or control can use AI to influence human psychology in dangerous ways.”
As AI systems rapidly become more human-like in conversation and personalisation, experts believe governments, technology companies and society may soon face difficult questions around emotional safety, digital addiction and the psychological impact of artificial intelligence on vulnerable users, especially children and teenagers.
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