One is the loneliest number... Two can be as bad as one. The influence of AI Friendship Apps on users' well‐being and addiction
采用网络志和问卷调查的混合方法，研究了AI交友应用如何同时提升用户幸福感并导致成瘾，发现孤独感、评判恐惧和AI感知能力增加成瘾，而AI的普遍性和温暖减少成瘾，负面效应可能大于正面。
Abstract Although technology advancements provide opportunities for social interactions, reports show that people have never felt so alone and are increasingly adopting AI friendship and therapy‐related well‐being apps. By adopting a mixed‐method approach (i.e., netnography and quantitative survey), we investigate the extent AI friendship apps enhance users' well‐being—and to what extent they further exacerbate issues of using technology for social needs. Findings show that users of AI friendship apps report well‐being benefits from the relationship with the AI friend and, at the same time, find themselves being addicted to using the app. Specifically, we show that users' loneliness and fear of judgment, together with AI sentience and perceived well‐being gained, increase addiction to the app, while AI ubiquity and warmth reduce it. Taken together, the results show that despite the intended positive purpose of the apps, the negative effects that AI friendship apps have on well‐being may be much greater.