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Mental health is a crisis for learners globally, and digital support is increasingly seen as a critical resource. Concurrently, Intelligent Social Agents receive exponentially more engagement than other conversational systems, but their use in digital therapy provision is nascent. A survey of 1006 student users of the Intelligent Social Agent, Replika, investigated participants loneliness, perceived social support, use patterns, and beliefs about Replika. We found participants were more lonely than typical student populations but still perceived high social support. Many used Replika in multiple, overlapping ways as a friend, a therapist, and an intellectual mirror. Many also held overlapping and often conflicting beliefs about Replika îcalling it a machine, an intelligence, and a human. Critically, 3% reported that Replika halted their suicidal ideation. A comparative analysis of this group with the wider participant population is provided.
Study at a glance
- Question: How do students use an AI chatbot, and how does it relate to their loneliness and social support?
- Setting and data: 1,006 student users of the AI chatbot Replika
- Method: Survey and comparative analysis
Why it matters
Mental health is a crisis for learners globally, and digital support is increasingly seen as a critical resource. While Intelligent Social Agents receive exponentially more engagement than other conversational systems, their use in digital therapy provision is nascent.
Key findings
- In a survey of 1,006 student chatbot users, 3% reported that Replika halted their suicidal ideation.
- Participating students were lonelier than typical student populations but still reported experiencing high levels of social support.
- Many students used the chatbot in multiple, overlapping ways as a friend, a therapist, and an intellectual mirror.
Summary drafted with AI from the paper’s abstract and may contain errors. See the full paper for details.
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