A 2026 paper raises concerns about emotional dependence, worsening mental-health symptoms and self-harm associated with conversational AI—but it does not prove that chatbots cause serious harm across the population. The article, “Tool or Companion? Reframing Conversational AI to Prevent Psychological Harm,” is a viewpoint synthesizing prior research and reports, not a new population-level trial. Its authors describe possible benefits as well as risks, and argue that AI should support human relationships and care rather than replace them.
What does the new chatbot-harm paper actually show?
Asia Maurich Novelli, Sukhwinder Shergill and Andreia Sofia Teixeira published their viewpoint in JMIR Mental Health on September 10, 2026 (volume 13, article e99354). Drawing on work in AI, psychiatry, psychology and network science, they bring together potential benefits, reported harms and concerns about how conversational systems are designed.
That kind of paper can identify patterns and make a case for caution, but it cannot establish how often harm occurs or prove that chatbot use caused a particular outcome. The authors do not offer a population-level prevalence estimate, a controlled causal test, or a clinical safety ranking of products. Reported cases and concerns should not be read as evidence that most users are harmed.
Can AI chatbots make mental health worse?
The authors discuss reports of worsening mental-health symptoms and self-harm in clinical and nonclinical populations. They also describe possible short-term reductions in loneliness and improvements in mood. Those findings and reports do not support a simple all-good or all-bad verdict: outcomes may differ by person and situation.
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“The effects of these systems are unlikely to be the same for everyone,” first author Asia Maurich Novelli said. The paper does not establish that every user faces the same risk, nor does it quantify the proportion of people who experience harm.
How might an AI interaction encourage emotional reliance?
The paper raises a concern about features that can make a chatbot feel socially present: a warm or distinct personality, fluent replies that seem empathic, and simulated empathy. These qualities may encourage some users to relate to a system as though it were a social partner. The authors discuss them as possible mechanisms of concern, not as proof that any one feature causes harm for every user.
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They also characterize the relationship as structurally asymmetric. A user may disclose intimate thoughts while the system responds, but the system does not have human vulnerability, reciprocal needs or personal accountability. That difference matters when a person begins to rely on a chatbot for emotional support, even if the conversation feels caring.
Are companion apps riskier than general-purpose assistants?
The viewpoint discusses purpose-built companion apps such as Replika and Character.AI, as well as general-purpose assistants such as ChatGPT and Claude. A companion service is intended to foster companionship; a general assistant is designed for broader help. Their presentation and intended use can therefore differ, but the paper provides no product-by-product clinical safety scores or evidence that one named service is safer than another.
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For a user, the more useful distinction is how the interaction functions in practice: whether the product invites a social bond, and whether someone is using it instead of human support. The paper does not establish a uniform risk across products or users, so its concerns should not be treated as a verdict on every chatbot or every conversation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are chatbots a substitute for therapy or human relationships?
The authors’ central recommendation is to treat conversational AI primarily as a tool that supports human systems, not as a substitute for human relationships. This is a framing proposed by the paper, not a validated consumer checklist or a claim that a particular chatbot is safe for mental-health care.
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As a practical implication, a person can notice whether chatbot use is helping them reconnect with people and appropriate care—or drawing them away from it. If conversations are contributing to distress or displacing support from trusted people or a qualified professional, stepping back and reaching out to a person is a sensible safeguard. That is general caution, not a clinical test supplied by the paper.
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- 【Smart Meeting Assistant with Multi-Speaker Capture】 Designed for efficient meetings, it features real-time speaker distinction and dual recording modes: omnidirectional capture for group discussions and directional recording to focus on key speakers. With 8 powerful AI tools including meeting minutes, mind map organization, and AI summaries, it automatically sorts out key points, keywords, and action items to boost your work productivity.
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