AI Chatbot Emotional Dependency, Attachment, and Addiction: Scoping Review with ☸️SAIMSARA.

Name: SAIMSARA Evidence Object digital::AI_CHATBOT_ADDICTION_SS
Creator: SAIMSARA
License: https://saimsara.com/license/

SAIMSARA

doi:10.62487/saimsarae9e6a55a

SAIMSARA Journal

Machine-Readable Science • ISSN 3054-3991

AI Chatbot Emotional Dependency, Attachment, and Addiction: Scoping Review with ☸️SAIMSARA.

Digital Health & Biotech

Issue 3, Volume 1, 2026

Chat with this issue

DOI: 10.62487/saimsarae9e6a55a

Editorial note

• Last update: 2026-05-24 09:15:20

What is this paper about

AI chatbots are becoming more than tools: this evidence map shows how loneliness, perceived empathy, parasocial bonding, and satisfaction can turn conversational support into emotional dependency, over-reliance, and withdrawal-like patterns. The full review separates original evidence from opinion literature and maps where the strongest signals emerge across attachment, social disconnection, Replika-style companion use, student dependency, and design strategies to reduce harm.

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Abstract: To synthesize existing literature on the drivers, mechanisms, and psychological consequences of human emotional dependency and addiction to AI chatbots. The review uses 31 references and builds its evidence map from 20 original studies with 6260 total participants/sample observations (topic-deduplicated ΣN). This scoping review suggests that emotional dependency on AI chatbots is driven primarily by affective pathways—loneliness, perceived empathy, and parasocial interaction—rather than purely instrumental utility, with satisfaction acting as a central reinforcing mediator. The signal was most consistent among younger users, where one cross-sectional study reported 12.37% high emotional-psychological dependence and 18.36% high relationship-style dependence, with satisfaction strongly predicting both (β ≈ 0.65). Convergent evidence indicates that these affective bonds are associated with self-regulation difficulties, withdrawal-like features, and potential erosion of real-world social connection. Practically, this highlights a role for screening chatbot use in lonely or socially isolated individuals and for design-based mitigation of overreliance. Given the predominance of cross-sectional data, future longitudinal research is needed to clarify whether chatbot emotional dependency follows the trajectory of established behavioral addictions.
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Keywords: Chatbot dependency; Emotional attachment; Parasocial interaction; Generative AI addiction; Human-chatbot interaction; Social chatbots; Media dependency; Psychological dependence; AI companionship; Anthropomorphism

Review Stats

Final search date and database lock: 2026-05-18 19:57:05 CEST
Plan: Pro (expanded craft tokens; source: Semantic Scholar)
Source: Semantic Scholar
Total Abstracts/Papers: 380
Downloaded Abstracts/Papers: 380
Included original and non-original Abstracts/Papers (all): 37
Included original Abstracts/Papers (Vote counting by direction of effect): 20
Reference Index (links used in paper): 31
Total participants/sample observations (topic deduplicated ΣN): 6260

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Reference Index (31)

[1] Unpacking AI Chatbot Dependency: A Dual-Path Model of Cognitive and Affective Mechanisms — https://doi.org/10.3390/info16121025
[2] Effects of attractions and social attributes on peoples’ usage intention and media dependence towards chatbot: The mediating role of parasocial interaction and emotional support — https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03284-w
[3] Dual Drivers of Emotional and Efficiency Needs: A Study of Group Differences in AI Chat Dependency Behavior — https://doi.org/10.5220/0013993100004916
[4] Understanding Risk and Dependency in AI Chatbot Use from User Discourse — https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2602.09339
[5] Too human and not human enough: A grounded theory analysis of mental health harms from emotional dependence on the social chatbot Replika — https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221142007
[6] Perspectives on How Sociology Can Advance Theorizing About Human-Chatbot Interaction and Developing Chatbots for Social Good — https://doi.org/10.2196/80250
[7] Impact of media dependence: how emotional interactions between users and chat robots affect human socialization? — https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1388860
[8] Exploring the Effect of Attachment on Technology Addiction to Generative AI Chatbots: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis — https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2024.2426029

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