đ° AI News: One in three UK adults now use AI for emotional support
đ TL;DR AI is not just a work assistant anymore, it is becoming an emotional companion for millions of people. A new UK government report says one in three adults use AI for emotional support or social interaction, and some experience withdrawal when it goes offline. đ§ Overview The UKâs Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute has released its first major report on advanced AI systems. One of the standout findings, a third of UK adults are already using tools like chatbots for emotional support or conversation, with one in 25 doing this every day. The same report also warns that AI systems are rapidly gaining expert level capabilities in areas like cyber security and biology, so governments are treating this as both a social and safety issue. đ The Announcement The findings come from a UK government body that tests advanced AI models for safety and real world impact. Over about two years, they evaluated more than 30 leading AI models and surveyed over 2,000 UK adults about how they actually use AI day to day. The government says it will use this work to shape future AI policy and expects companies to fix risks before these systems are deployed widely. âïž How It Works âą A government run survey - Researchers asked over 2,000 UK adults how they were using AI and found one in three had used it for emotional support or social interaction. âą Daily reliance - About one in 25 people reported turning to AI for conversation or support every single day, which suggests a real emotional habit is forming. âą Main tools people use - Most emotional support use is happening through chatbots and virtual assistants, not futuristic robot friends. âą Studying an AI friends community - Researchers looked at an online community of around two million people who use AI companions and watched what happened when those tools went offline. âą Withdrawal symptoms - When chatbots were unavailable, users reported feeling anxious, low, sleeping badly, or neglecting responsibilities, similar to withdrawal from a digital habit.