When AI’s your go-to confidant

One of the issues with young people turning to AI chatbots as confidants is that they are forming emotional bonds with entities that have no capacity to reciprocate. — 123rf

AI chatbot systems, such as ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot, are increasingly being used as confidants of choice.

But turning to these artificial intelligence systems for companionship and emotional support is a cause for concern, especially in younger people, say experts in the (2025) Christmas issue of The BMJ medical journal.