Dependency on AI Chatbots for Emotional Regulation and Gratification: A Case of Pakistan

Abstract

The fast development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based chatbots has considerably changed the patterns of interpersonal communication and emotional support. Chatbots were originally intended to be used in information searching and the automation of functions, but they are now used as a means of emotional self-control, stress relief, and psychological comfort. Using the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), in this paper, we explore how users become addicted to AI chatbots to meet their emotional and cognitive needs. This paper suggests a Gratification-to-Dependency Pathway, which describes how the continuous communication will lead to intimacy, trust, and subsequent emotional dependency. The study uses a quantitative survey technique to examine the relationship between emotional gratification and overuse of AI. The results have the potential to advance the disciplines of digital psychology and communication by outlining how AI will shift to a supportive device or even an emotionally meaningful agent in the lives of users.