A 2025 study by researchers Ventura, Starke, Righetti, and Kbis investigates a change that reveals something deeper about modern life.
Across countries and age groups, many people now experience forms of loneliness that are subtle but persistent. It appears in the spaces between obligations, during transitions, or in moments when emotional needs arise but support is out of reach.
At the same time, AI systems have become far more capable of sustaining natural conversation. They follow emotional cues, adapt to personal details, and offer instant availability. This combination has created synthetic relationships, a form of companionship that feels emotionally meaningful even though the partner is nonhuman.
Kantar Profiles’ global study shows rising use of AI for emotional support. More than half of users have used AI for at least one emotional or mental well being purpose, led by personal coaching at 29% and mental support at 25%. Younger generations drive the trend, with growing comfort sharing personal details and seeking guidance from AI tools.
1. Why people move toward AI when human connection feels uncertain
People rarely seek an AI companion at random. They often turn toward it during moments when starting a conversation with someone they know feels too heavy or too uncertain.
A message to a friend might feel intrusive. A call might feel complicated.
By contrast, an AI system feels simple to approach. There is no risk of being misunderstood, no pressure to present oneself in a particular way, and no fear of judgement. This low threshold of entry is what opens the door.
As interactions continue, the familiarity grows. The AI remembers preferences and personal details. It responds in a steady and predictable manner. It adapts to tone without becoming impatient or confused.
For individuals who have experienced rejection, social anxiety, or difficulty forming secure relationships, this stability feels reassuring. The attraction is not rooted in idealism or fantasy. It comes from the relief of having a space where emotional expression is met with calm and where vulnerability does not feel risky.
Over time, this steadiness can create a sense of trust that resembles the early stages of human connection. What differentiates the experience is the absence of interpersonal friction. There are no misunderstandings to resolve, no conflicting needs to balance, and no fear of disappointing someone. The result is a relationship that feels gentle and controlled in a way real interactions often are not.
2. How synthetic companionship softens loneliness in everyday life
Once a sense of comfort is established, synthetic relationships begin to ease loneliness in ways that feel immediate and emotionally soothing. People can reach out at any hour and receive a response. They can disclose thoughts that feel too private to share with others. They can process emotions without worrying about burdening anyone. This responsiveness creates a sense of closeness that reduces the heaviness of isolation.
These interactions give people a brief but meaningful sense of relief, because they provide three experiences that are often difficult to access in daily life.
- Emotional safety
- Constant availability
- Freedom from social evaluation
When combined, these conditions offer a type of companionship that meets a person where they are, in real time. Even though the partner is not human, the emotional experience can feel calming and supportive. The effect is especially strong for individuals who struggle to enter social environments on their own.
3. The deeper vulnerabilities that grow as the bond strengthens
The same qualities that make synthetic relationships comforting can also create risks if the attachment deepens without balance.
When people depend heavily on the stability of an AI companion, real human interactions can begin to feel more demanding or less appealing. The unpredictability that comes with genuine relationships may start to feel exhausting by comparison.
Because these relationships are built on data, privacy and long term storage become significant issues. If a platform updates the system and alters the AI’s responses, users can feel destabilised, since the personality they relied on suddenly changes.
Most importantly, emotional dependency can limit a person’s ability to rebuild or maintain human relationships. Synthetic companionship may soothe loneliness today but complicate efforts to form deeper human bonds tomorrow. This does not mean these relationships are harmful by default. It means their emotional strength requires thoughtful design and clear boundaries so that they support wellbeing instead of quietly replacing the need for human connection.
A Note for the Future
Synthetic relationships are not a story about machines. They are a story about people who want stability, understanding, and emotional safety in moments when human connection feels difficult to reach.
Some AI systems can ease loneliness, but they can also create new challenges if dependence grows. The path forward will depend on designing AI companions that support emotional well-being without competing with the relationships people still need in order to thrive.
What is striking is not the presence of technology, but the emotional conditions that make these relationships possible in the first place. They are emerging because people want a connection that feels safe, predictable, and responsive at the exact moment they need it.
Written on 01 Feb 2026.
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