Report · AI & Tech

For many users, AI chatbots don't change their sense of social connection

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Nearly half of U.S. adults (47%) say interacting with an AI chatbot has made no change in their sense of social connection, according to a Verasight survey fielded May 11, 2026.

More Americans say chatbots have worsened their sense of social connection than improved it: 16% say the effect has been slightly or much worse, including 5% who say much worse, while 10% say it has been slightly or much better, including 4% who say much better. The remaining quarter of adults (26%) have never interacted with an AI chatbot.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

For many users, AI chatbots don't change their sense of social connection.

How has interacting with AI chatbot affected your sense of social connection?

  • No change 47.5%
  • I have never interacted with an AI chatbot 25.9%
  • Slightly worse 11.7%
  • Slightly better 6.7%
  • Much worse 4.6%
  • Much better 3.6%

2026 · base n 504 · +/- 4.6%

beliefs

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
Base (unweighted)
504
Margin of error
+/- 4.6%
Module
beliefs

Source

Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=504 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.6%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.