Researchers at Trinity College's AI Accountability Lab have secured a major UK grant to investigate the potential risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI) companions.
General purpose chatbots such as ChatGPT are increasingly used as "friends", "partners" or emotional confidants by people around the world.
Titled "An Analysis of AI Companions: Friendship without Boundaries?", the project will look at how these systems are designed to shape our feelings and behaviours, and what happens when technology begins to blur relational boundaries.
The AI Accountability Lab at ADAPT in the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College Dublin has secured research grant funding from the UK Government's AI Security Institute (AISI) in the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, to investigate the design choices of AI 'companion’ applications.
"News headlines have highlighted the concerns around people relying on AI ‘partners’ for emotional closeness and the emergent risks AI chatbot use pose to mental health," said Project Lead Maribeth Rauh.
"This timely project will help people understand the aspects of the systems’ design which contribute to these issues and how we can ensure they are not exploitative, and are instead built with appropriate safeguards."
The research aims to provide an evidence-based report to help inform policymakers, regulators and consumer protection bodies to understand and address these issues.
The report will be available in 2026.
