What she found was a link between social interaction struggles and increased use of online media such as chatbots. “AI is becoming so prolific, it felt obvious that there should be some consideration of its influence,” Bunim shared. This led her to question where young people would turn without strong offline friendships, and for some, the answer was chatbots. She interviewed 18- to 22-year-old men and women across the U.S. who frequently used AI chatbots. For some, interacting with AI chatbots felt like keeping a diary or getting advice from a trusted source.