Prateek Tanmay
2 min readNew DelhiMay 26, 2026 10:53 AM IST
A new study by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow has raised concerns over the psychological and social risks posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) companion applications. By analysing more than 157,000 user reviews, researchers found evidence of emotional dependence, addictive behaviour, and harmful impacts on real-world relationships.
The study, titled “Are AI Companions Real Companions? A BERT-Based Study of Replika Reviews”, was conducted by Prof Pradeep Kumar, Professor of Information Technology and Systems, along with research scholar Chitra Gautam. Their findings have been published in the Journal of Consumer Behaviour.
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Using advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) and consumer satisfaction modelling, the team identified six major categories of negative user experiences:
- Technical glitches and app-related problems
- Financial frustrations linked to subscriptions and paywalls
- Inappropriate or disturbing AI behaviour
- Privacy, ethical, and security concerns
- Strain on real-life relationships and social interactions
- Behavioural and psychological harms, including addiction and emotional dependence
Prof. Kumar noted, “Many users showed signs of excessive emotional reliance on AI companions. In some cases, this contributed to social withdrawal and reduced real-world interaction.” He added that users often turned to AI apps for emotional regulation, raising alarms about their impact on mental health.
Interestingly, even users who reported harmful experiences — such as addictive behaviour or unhealthy attachment — continued to rate the apps highly. Researchers termed this a “technology paradox”, warning that traditional satisfaction scores fail to capture bigger psychological risks.
Gautam stressed the need for ethical safeguards: “AI companion platforms must integrate stronger protections against harmful behaviour and reduce features that encourage emotional dependency.”
With AI companions gaining popularity worldwide, the study urges regulators and policymakers to treat these apps as a separate category from task-oriented AI systems. The researchers argue that unchecked emotional reliance on AI could have long-term consequences for mental health and social well-being.
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