People are relying on AI chatbots for companionship; Apple’s Siri AI to avoid a risky path
Over 27% of Americans use AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini for personal and emotional reasons, rather than just for work or factual questions
- Sep 3, 2026,
- Updated Sep 3, 2026 12:54 PM IST
Did you know? AI chatbot users are viewing AI chatbots as virtual friends or therapists. According to a study conducted by Elon University in partnership with The Washington Post, Americans are relying on AI chatbots for companionship. However, Apple has argued that it is building Siri AI differently from other chatbots in the market.
As per the study, over 27% of Americans use AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini for personal and emotional reasons, rather than just for work or factual questions. The usage revolves around relationship advice, romantic conversations, entertainment, and talking to AI when they feel lonely.
Must read: Apple’s new AI Siri on iOS 27 may not be available to everyone at launch: What you need to know
Almost one-third of these users said they consider the chatbot they use most often to be a friend. However, this raises concerns over the growing reliance and the possibility that it could discourage people from building genuine human connections.
Based on the growing reliance on AI chatbots, Apple’s Greg Joswiak and Craig Federighi revealed that Siri AI may not respond to personal queries. At the Mostly Human podcast earlier this year, the executives said, “If you use many of the existing chatbots, they’re really focused on engagement to a large degree. And sycophantic, right? They kind of want to pull you in. They might encourage you to reveal things about yourself and then use that as a basis to establish a connection.”
Must read: Apple explores deals with publishers to make Siri smarter on news; All details
“And we view it quite the opposite. The way that we have designed Siri, Siri really wants to say, “Listen, that’s not what I’m here for. I’m here to help you. I can help you learn about the world.”
“But if you try to engage Siri as a romantic partner, Siri’s not up for that.” This showcases that Apple is positioning Siri AI as a functional tool rather than an artificial confidant. Federighi and Joswiak emphasized that technology should assist human productivity and learning without blurring the boundaries of personal relationships.
This restriction may help protect user privacy and encourage people to seek genuine human connections for their emotional needs instead of relying on artificial intelligence.
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine
Did you know? AI chatbot users are viewing AI chatbots as virtual friends or therapists. According to a study conducted by Elon University in partnership with The Washington Post, Americans are relying on AI chatbots for companionship. However, Apple has argued that it is building Siri AI differently from other chatbots in the market.
As per the study, over 27% of Americans use AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini for personal and emotional reasons, rather than just for work or factual questions. The usage revolves around relationship advice, romantic conversations, entertainment, and talking to AI when they feel lonely.
Must read: Apple’s new AI Siri on iOS 27 may not be available to everyone at launch: What you need to know
Almost one-third of these users said they consider the chatbot they use most often to be a friend. However, this raises concerns over the growing reliance and the possibility that it could discourage people from building genuine human connections.
Based on the growing reliance on AI chatbots, Apple’s Greg Joswiak and Craig Federighi revealed that Siri AI may not respond to personal queries. At the Mostly Human podcast earlier this year, the executives said, “If you use many of the existing chatbots, they’re really focused on engagement to a large degree. And sycophantic, right? They kind of want to pull you in. They might encourage you to reveal things about yourself and then use that as a basis to establish a connection.”
Must read: Apple explores deals with publishers to make Siri smarter on news; All details
“And we view it quite the opposite. The way that we have designed Siri, Siri really wants to say, “Listen, that’s not what I’m here for. I’m here to help you. I can help you learn about the world.”
“But if you try to engage Siri as a romantic partner, Siri’s not up for that.” This showcases that Apple is positioning Siri AI as a functional tool rather than an artificial confidant. Federighi and Joswiak emphasized that technology should assist human productivity and learning without blurring the boundaries of personal relationships.
This restriction may help protect user privacy and encourage people to seek genuine human connections for their emotional needs instead of relying on artificial intelligence.
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine