Role of AI companions in addressing loneliness across generations

Abstract

In recent years, loneliness has become a significant public health issue, drawing even greater focus following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies suggest that social isolation can contribute to a range of mental and physical health challenges, such as heart disease, depression, cognitive decline, and sleep disturbances. Additionally, it can greatly diminish an individual’s overall well-being and life satisfaction (Beridze et al., 2020). A study discusses the rise in mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased loneliness, and examines how AI can be integrated into psychiatric practice to address these issues (Ray et al., 2022). With limited access to mental health professionals, many turn into AI companions for support. Currently, there are evidence showed that AI-driven chatbots have promises in facilitating meaningful interactions through natural language processing (Strawn and Walkup, 2020). Also, this technology aid psychological well-being.