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OpenAI and MIT Media Lab have jointly released a study examining the relationship between ChatGPT usage and emotional connections. The research analyzed nearly 40 million ChatGPT conversations and surveyed around 1,000 participants. The study found that most people primarily use ChatGPT for practical purposes, engaging in factual exchanges rather than seeking emotional support or empathy. However, a notable trend emerged among heavy users of ChatGPT's advanced voice feature, who were more likely to develop emotional bonds with the AI, sometimes referring to it as a "friend."

The MIT study divided participants into groups based on their use of text versus voice features, with some groups interacting with AI personalities programmed to be emotionally engaged or neutral. The study indicated that while brief interactions with the voice feature could improve mood, prolonged daily use was often linked to increased loneliness. Specifically, personal conversations were correlated with higher levels of loneliness but lower emotional dependency, while non-personal conversations showed the opposite pattern. This suggests that even in functional interactions, heavy users may develop a dependency on the AI system.

ImgSrc: analyticsindiam

References :

• Analytics India Magazine: ChatGPT Use Linked to Increased Loneliness, Finds OpenAI Study
• THE DECODER: Advanced voice feature draws heavy ChatGPT users into emotional bonds, study finds

Classification:

• HashTags: #OpenAI #AIResearch #EmotionalAI
• Company: OpenAI
• Target: ChatGPT users
• Product: ChatGPT
• Feature: AI Study and LLM Research
• Type: Research
• Severity: Informative