An MIT-OpenAI trial on emotional ChatGPT use ran four weeks with 981 people

The 2025 study “How AI and Human Behaviors Shape Psychosocial Effects of Extended Chatbot Use,” by researchers at the MIT Media Lab and OpenAI, was a four-week randomized controlled experiment with 981 participants who exchanged more than 300,000 messages with ChatGPT. It measured loneliness, real-world socialization, emotional dependence on the AI, and problematic use, varying both interaction mode and conversation type.

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Last verified June 7, 2026