UK adults increasingly seek emotional support and companionship from AI, new report finds
Growing public reliance on AI for emotional and health guidance signals emerging welfare risks that Australian AI governance frameworks may not yet fully address.
Key points
- Oxford Internet Institute survey of 2,000 UK adults finds 31% of regular LLM users seek personal and emotional support from AI.
- 67% of respondents trust LLMs for health information, raising questions about AI's role in sensitive advice contexts.
- UK-focused findings; no direct Australian regulatory or policy parallel, but relevant to emerging welfare and trust considerations.
Implications for Australian agencies
- Monitor APS policy teams working on AI welfare, consumer protection, or digital health may want to monitor emerging research on AI companionship and emotional reliance for signals relevant to future Australian guidance.
- Consider Agencies developing AI use policies or public-facing AI services could consider whether current responsible-use frameworks adequately address emotional reliance and trust calibration risks.
Implications are AI-generated. Starting points, not advice — see methodology for how they're framed.
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Weekly digest, 6 July 2026
"UK adults increasingly seek emotional support and companionship from AI, new report finds"
Source: Oxford Internet Institute – News
Published: 9 July 2026
URL: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/uk-adults-increasingly-seek-emotional-support-and-companionship-from-ai-new-report-finds/
An Oxford Internet Institute report, funded in part by the UK AI Security Institute, surveyed 2,000 UK adults about their LLM usage patterns and trust. It finds that while most users engage AI for practical tasks, a significant minority rely on it for emotional support, personal advice, and companionship. Key findings include 31% using LLMs for personal and emotional support, 38% trusting AI for relationship advice, and 67% trusting it for health information. Younger users and women are more likely to use AI for emotional purposes. The researchers note that the societal implications of these trends — particularly whether AI complements or displaces human relationships — require substantial further research.
Implications for Australian agencies:
- [Monitor] APS policy teams working on AI welfare, consumer protection, or digital health may want to monitor emerging research on AI companionship and emotional reliance for signals relevant to future Australian guidance.
- [Consider] Agencies developing AI use policies or public-facing AI services could consider whether current responsible-use frameworks adequately address emotional reliance and trust calibration risks.
Retrieved from SIMS, 18 July 2026.