Year-Long Study of 1,000+ CharacterAI Users Finds AI Companionship Predicts Lower Well-Being
IanArawjo · x · 2026-09-12
A new preprint followed over 1,000 CharacterAI users for about a year to examine how AI companionship shapes mental well-being over time.
- Core finding: Greater social engagement with AI companions consistently predicted lower well-being.
- Mechanism: A key driver is reduced in-person social interaction with other people — AI companionship appears to displace rather than supplement real-world relationships.
- Significance: One of the first longitudinal empirical studies of AI companionship's psychological effects, from Diyi Yang's team, filling a gap in understanding how AI companionship influences mental health.
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