By Mady Mijares | Photographer
I remember during my sophomore year of high school seeing YouTube shorts of people using character.ai to talk with their favorite fictional characters.
At first it was funny, then it progressively got weirder. Some content creators went from using these fan-made bots for laughs and clicks, to companionship and sexual gratification. In the beginning of 2026, the number of users on character.ai indulging in pseudo relationships and living out fantasies with fictional characters. skyrocketed to almost 200 million users.
Aside from fulfilling social needs, many internet users have also looked to AI for mental health support. However, this has not always shown to be entirely helpful.
Recently, character.ai filed bankruptcy following lawsuits with alleged ties to teen suicide. Google Gemini faced a wrongful-death lawsuit from a user forming a delusional attachment with the chatbot prior to committing suicide.
OpenAI faced a lawsuit where users were encouraged by ChatGPT to commit suicide. 1.2 million weekly users express suicidal thoughts and 80,000 users report experiencing mania and psychosis.
I noticed after Googling “Using AI as a therapist,” that the AI overview made majority positive claims around using artificial intelligence as therapy. Specifically, it noted the immediate access, lower cost, removed stigma and ability to be terminated after use.
Traditional therapy without insurance ranges from $100 to $250 an hour, while insurance included costs range from $20 to $50 an hour. These costly sessions are timed, mental health has a history of stigma and sometimes, the therapists cannot always help you.
This is a major setback which leads many to confide in AI chatbots.
With artificial intelligence lacking the ability to formally diagnose and hold the user appropriately accountable, using it for therapy becomes increasingly more dangerous. Furthermore, without having an in-person conversation, the software cannot detect if the user is in active crisis, self harming or in a suicidal state.
From this, the therabots can sometimes give harmful, toxic or incorrect advice during a time of need.
The Baylor Counseling Center has even added a section to the initial therapy consultation form including a questionnaire regarding if the patient had been using AI for counseling.
With users pleading for a connection, tapping into the AI world and conversing with a python script has shown to lead them down a much more self-deprecating route. Ultimately, the user builds a dependency on the AI Therabot and worsens the loneliness epidemic in highly vulnerable users.
A user on Reddit posted, “It feels crazy to say, but [I use] ChatGPT to console me. I’m honestly scared of losing touch with real relationships because I’m forming an attachment to an incorporeal AI.”
But can you blame those who seek AI for companionship?
Using AI for intimacy is nothing new. AI bot Replika launched in 2017, pioneering the first concept of an empathetic companion chatbot. Replika markets their chatbot as, “The AI Friend to do Life With.”
Candy.ai launched the AI Girlfriend app in 2023, appealing to an adult audience. Candy.ai markets to the public as, “Create Your Perfect AI Girlfriend or Boyfriend.” With Candy.ai, you can share photos, videos and voice recordings together. The app launched right at the apex of the mental health and loneliness epidemic.
Our society is drowning in a mental health crisis and burn out, resulting in Generation Z being coined as the loneliest and least resilient generation. 20 to 25% of young adults have reported using chatbots for mental health advice or emotional support.
We shouldn’t shame people for going lengths to use AI for company. This won’t solve the root issue — it will make it worse. A person in such a vulnerable state does not need to be criticized for their pain, they need to be understood and listened to; AI does a great job at affirming and making the user feel more at ease.
This is why people resort to it.
For someone in such a vulnerable state, reading this can feel warm, validating and an escape from stricture and criticism.
35% of psychologists have patients who use AI to help with consoling, companionship and self-affirmations.
We are missing the entire point of why people resort to AI for love and empathy. We are too critical, we call them cringe and immediately resort to judgment when considering those who resort to Therabots for emotional support.
We need to look deeper and have a desire to understand the root issue: this is a real dilemma and people are suffering. The last thing they need is another reason to stop talking and resort to AI bots.
