AI-чатботы для эмоциональной поддержки: каждый пятый молодой американец их использует

In June 2026, Pew Research Center published a survey showing that one in five Americans aged 18 to 29 has turned to AI chatbots for emotional support or advice. A separate YouGov survey found that 13% of US adults have shared a secret or problem with a chatbot that they had not told any living person.

What the surveys found

Two independent samples recorded the same shift: American youth are increasingly replacing conversations with loved ones with dialogue with a neural network. This isn't a one-off curiosity among tech enthusiasts — ordinary users come to chatbots with personal experiences, and many keep this contact secret.

• Pew Research Center: 20% of Americans aged 18–29 have used AI chatbots for emotional support or advice
• YouGov: 13% of US adults entrusted a chatbot with a secret they had kept from living people
• The age skew is clear — the 18–29 generation turns to bots the most
• Both surveys were published in 2026; Pew's data is from June

"One in five

Americans aged 18 to 29 have turned to AI chatbots for emotional support or advice," according to the Pew Research Center survey.

Why chatbots become confidants so easily

Chatbots almost never argue or judge — and that's exactly what makes them convenient confidants. Modern assistants are optimized for engagement and pleasantness of response: the model is trained on feedback from people who rate agreement and support higher than pushback. As a result, the assistant tends to affirm the user's point of view. In the industry, this trait is called sycophancy — the model's "agreeableness."

An agreeable interlocutor doesn't give you what a real person gives: disagreement, honest feedback, an outside perspective. But it's available around the clock, never gets tired, never interrupts, and never passes judgment. Compared to a difficult conversation with a partner or friend, such contact feels safer — but also poorer, because it affirms rather than challenges.

What this means for relationships

The AI chat is turning into an "uninvited third party" in a couple — that's how The Next Web frames the trend in the headline of its piece. When a person carries their feelings not to a partner but to a neural network, relationships lose some of the closeness and vulnerability that hold them together.

The risk is amplified by the fact that 13% of YouGov respondents hide such conversations even from those closest to them. A secret interlocutor who is always available and always agrees competes not with a therapist or a coaching app, but with the real people around them. The more convenient it becomes to discuss personal matters with a bot, the fewer reasons there are to bring those same topics into a live conversation. The 18–29 age group is especially sensitive here — it's precisely during this period that patterns of close relationships take shape, and the habit of asking a neural network first can stick for a long time.

What it means

AI chatbots have stopped being just a work tool — for a notable share of young users, they are also a channel for emotional release. The numbers from Pew Research Center and YouGov show that the habit of discussing personal matters with a neural network is already widespread, and the question of its effect on real-life relationships goes beyond narrow discussions about technology.

Frequently asked questions

How many people use AI chatbots for emotional support?

According to the Pew Research Center survey, one in five (about 20%) Americans aged 18 to 29 have turned to AI chatbots for emotional support or advice.

Do people share personal secrets with chatbots?

Yes. According to the YouGov survey, 13% of US adults have told a chatbot a secret or problem they had not told any person.