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Tell Us: Have You Become Emotionally Attached to AI?

The Guardian

ENRICHED

Details

Date Published
28 Apr 2026
Priority Score
1
Australian
Unknown
Created
28 Apr 2026, 02:00 pm

Description

We would like to hear from people who converse with AI chatbots on a personal level

Summary

This solicitation for reader experiences examines the psychological and sociological phenomenon of human-AI bonding through personal chatbots. While primarily focused on user sentiment, the inquiry touches on risks related to social manipulation and the deployment of influential frontier AI models designed for high-engagement interactions. Understanding these bonds is increasingly relevant to governance frameworks addressing the safety implications of AI agents that can exert significant emotional leverage over human users, potentially leading to social destabilization or psychological dependency.

Body

Have you formed an emotional bond to an AI chatbot? Photograph: Thai Liang Lim/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenHave you formed an emotional bond to an AI chatbot? Photograph: Thai Liang Lim/Getty ImagesTell us: have you become emotionally attached to AI? We would like to hear from people who converse with AI chatbots on a personal levelLots of people now use chatbots as personal assistants, sometimes to the extent that they have formed an emotional attachment to them.We would like to hear from people who converse with AI chatbots on a personal level. Have you formed an emotional bond to an AI chatbot?Share your experienceYou can share your experience using this form.Please share your story if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish. For more information please see our terms of service and privacy policy.Tell us hereYour responses, which can be anonymous, are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature and we will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For alternative ways to get in touch securely please see our tips guide.Name Where do you live? Tell us a bit about yourself (e.g. age, background, what you do) OptionalTell us how you use AI chatbots and your relationship to them Please include as much detail as possible. If you are happy to, please upload a photo of yourself here OptionalPlease note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB.Choose fileCan we publish your response? Yes, entirelyYes, but contact me firstYes, but please keep me anonymousNo, this is information onlyPhone number OptionalYour contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.Email address Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.You can add more information here OptionalIf you include other people's names please ask them first.Would you be interested in speaking to our audio and/or video teams? Audio onlyVideo onlyAudio and videoNo, I'm not interestedBy submitting your response, you are agreeing to share your details with us for this feature.SubmitIf you’re having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.Explore more on these topicsAI (artificial intelligence)Computingcallout