Young people form deep emotional bonds with AI chatbots, experts warn

A growing number of young people are forming deep emotional attachments to AI chatbots, with experts warning of potential social withdrawal and mental health risks. On Monday, Estonian social-health professor Merike Sisask of Tallinn University reported that some adolescents now spend hours conversing with AI companions instead of interacting with peers, raising concerns among educators and clinicians. “There are young people who can remain engaged with a chatbot for entire lessons without once recalling their flesh-and-blood friends,” Sisask wrote in an analysis published on 22 June 2026 .

The phenomenon mirrors broader anxieties about algorithmic influence on social behaviour. In Germany, labour-law experts at *Handelsblatt* highlighted a parallel trend in workplace communication, where employees increasingly rely on AI-powered messaging platforms that blur professional and private boundaries. A 22 June 2026 report noted that many workers now use corporate chat systems for personal exchanges, prompting questions about employer monitoring rights and data privacy .

Across Europe, clinicians are reporting a surge in cases where AI tools—initially designed for convenience—are being repurposed as emotional crutches. In Greece, a professor cited in *Proto Thema* on 22 June 2026 described how users often “trust ChatGPT with their eyes closed,” despite the absence of safeguards or therapeutic oversight . Meanwhile, in Turkey, columnist Ersin Çelik warned that social media’s original promise as a “digital square” for human connection has eroded, with algorithms now dictating emotional engagement. Çelik’s 22 June 2026 piece cited parental complaints about children retreating into AI-mediated spaces, including one mother’s account of her son’s compulsive use of violent gaming chatbots .

Estonian cardiologist Margus Viigimaa, writing the same day, framed the issue as part of a wider health crisis, noting that chronic stress and sleep deprivation—often exacerbated by digital over-engagement—can manifest as cardiac distress . Viigimaa’s advice to patients underscores the urgency of addressing AI dependency before it escalates into clinical concern.

While AI companions and workplace chatbots offer undeniable utility, the 22 June 2026 reports collectively signal a tipping point: the line between tool and emotional anchor is blurring, and society must now decide how to regulate these relationships before they reshape human connection itself.