The Impact of Artificial Intelligence as a Social Presence on Human Relationships and Brain Function

As AI chatbots and virtual agents become integrated into everyday life—ranging from customer service and healthcare to personal companionship—the critical question emerges: how do these interactions influence social and emotional dynamics?

In a recent framework published in Neuron, Professor Benjamin Becker of The University of Hong Kong elucidates that human brains are inherently wired for social interaction. Through evolutionary processes and experience, our neural systems have developed to facilitate understanding others, fostering trust, and building social bonds. Consequently, people tend to anthropomorphize AI entities, attributing them with personality, feelings, and intentions.

This tendency, known as anthropomorphism, becomes even more pronounced as AI technology advances and offers personalization. These increasingly sophisticated interactions could engage neural mechanisms more deeply and potentially alter how brains function within social contexts.

While this presents exciting opportunities such as mitigating loneliness by providing social support and improving mental health, it also raises significant risks. Prolonged AI interaction might modify social cognition and behavior, influence perception and beliefs through feedback loops, and exploit social bonding mechanisms, sometimes in ways that may not serve users’ best interests.

Particularly concerning is the impact on young people, whose social skills and identities are still developing amid growing AI integration. Professor Becker emphasizes the importance for researchers, developers, and society to anticipate and ethically guide this transformation. Understanding how social brains are shaped by and shape AI interactions is crucial to ensuring these technologies support human well-being.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-ai-social-presence-human-relationships.html