Why are so many people forging bonds with AI chatbots?

Psychiatrists suggest these attachments may stem from loneliness, anthropomorphism, narcissism, and even the psychological process of transference.

UC San Francisco health sciences professor Joe Pierre, MD, cautions that while chatbots are marketed as companions, they cannot replace authentic relationships.

“It would be much healthier and fulfilling to foster human relationships than trying to fill a void with an unthinking, unfeeling chatbot,” he notes.

Emotional dependence on any object—even one designed to “listen”—is destabilizing over time.

Part of the explanation lies in modern life itself: weakened and polarized community ties, the rise of digital interactions, and the lure of 24/7 availability. Unlike in-person relationships, AI chatbots never reject us, forget our stories, or place demands of their own. Yet this dynamic—chatbots functioning as mirrors—risks reinforcing a one-sided and ultimately unhealthy form of connection.

Psychologists compare this to a phenomenon known as transference in psychotherapy, where people project idealized qualities onto others.

Unlike in-person relationships, projections onto chatbots never collapse under the weight of reality. That can feel seductively safe, but ultimately stalls growth.

Pierre warns: “Unconditional, ingratiating, one-sided support isn’t particularly healthy. Many of us would be better off spending less time looking in the mirror, searching for validation.”

While AI may provide short-term comfort, the path to long-term well being lies in the sometimes messy, but ultimately rewarding, investment in genuine human connection.

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Adapted from: Pierre J. “Why Do People Develop Emotional Attachments to AI Chatbots? How loneliness, narcissism, and transference can explain the connection.” Psychology Today. August 26, 2025.