For many users, AI chatbots don't affect loneliness
Core finding
Talking with an AI chatbot is doing little to Americans' sense of loneliness in either direction: 45% say chatbot interactions have made no change in how lonely they feel, and another four-in-ten (40%) have never interacted with an AI chatbot at all, according to a May 2026 Verasight survey.
One-in-ten Americans (10%) say those interactions have made their loneliness slightly or much better, including 3% who say much better, while about half as many (5%) say they have made it slightly or much worse, including 1% who say much worse.
Topline distribution
For many users, AI chatbots don't affect loneliness.
How has interacting with AI chatbot affected your sense of loneliness?
n = 496 · May 11, 2026 · MoE ±4.7%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | May 11, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 496 |
| Margin of error | ±4.7% |
| Module | beliefs |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26
How has interacting with AI chatbot affected your sense of loneliness?
Cite this question
Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=496 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.7%.