WASHINGTON: People who frequently consult artificial intelligence outside work could be more prone to depressive symptoms than others, according to a team of researchers led by doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical School.
Published by the American Medical Association, the team's two-month-long survey and study of almost 21,000 US-based adults suggests that those who engage with the platforms for personal use several times a day are more inclined to report feeling depressed than those who restrict their AI use to the office.
"Greater levels of AI use were associated with modest increases in depressive symptoms, with odds of at least moderate depression 30% greater among those with daily use, particularly among younger users," the team said, likening the effects of overuse to those seen for social media.
"Daily or more frequent AI use was significantly more common among men, younger adults, those with higher education and income, and those in urban settings," the researchers said, summarizing the disclosures in the survey.
"Among individuals aged 45 to 64, the odds of reporting at least moderate depression were 50% greater for daily AI users," the team explained, calling for further research into the matter.
The survey findings do not indicate whether AI use is a potential symptom or cause of depression.
Previous analysis has shown AI users seemingly retreating from social engagement and tending to show dependence on chatbots, the researchers said, explaining why they carried out their survey.
The findings follow the publication of multiple studies in recent years linking overuse of social media and streaming apps with stress and depression in adolescents. – dpa
