How ChatGPT has become a space for people to open up emotionally, vent, reflect and talk through personal issues

People are using ChatGPT like a therapist, and it's getting concerning.

People are increasingly using ChatGPT and similar AI chatbots for emotional support and informal therapy-like conversations, according to multiple recent studies analysing user behaviour across platforms and real-world surveys.

A study from Cornell University examining 5,126 Reddit posts across mental health-related communities found that users frequently describe AI systems as “listeners” and “companions,” often using them as a space to process anxiety, relationships and emotional distress. Researchers found that while many users reported relief and emotional clarity, some interactions also raised concerns around dependency and worsening symptoms.

A Reuters-backed survey suggests that this behaviour is no longer confined to niche online communities. The survey also said that nearly half of young Europeans aged 11-25 have used AI chatbots to discuss personal or emotional issues, with many describing them as easier to talk to than traditional support systems.

As usage patterns evolve beyond productivity tasks, even AI leaders are acknowledging the shift. “A lot of people effectively use ChatGPT as a sort of therapist or life coach… and that makes me uneasy,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said on a X post.

AI researchers have echoed similar observations. “People are increasingly using AI systems for advice and even emotional support, which was not the original intent of these tools,” said Andrew Ng, Chairman and Co-founder of Coursera, Founder of DeepLearningAI and CEO of Landing AI, pointing to a widening gap between how these systems were designed and how they are now being used in everyday life.

Bengaluru-based mental health professional Sneha Francis told LiveMint that accessibility does not equate to adequacy. Unlike licensed therapy, she said, AI systems lack clinical oversight, crisis escalation pathways and ethical accountability frameworks.

One user described ChatGPT as a structured emotional outlet:
“It helps me put language to behaviours or patterns I’m noticing.”

Another user highlighted accessibility as the key reason:
“It’s available 24/7 so I can vent to it immediately when something is wrong.”

Separate Reddit discussions also show users explicitly framing AI chatbots as substitutes for informal therapy, saying they use them to “process thoughts” and “talk things out when no one else is available.”

“Sometimes I end up using it as I would talk to a person, and I’ll go deep into stuff I’m thinking about. But then reality hits, and I remind myself it’s just an AI, so I step back,” said Asad Fathima, a Bengaluru-based working professional, while speaking to LiveMint.

A recent feature by The Guardian documented users who turned to ChatGPT for emotional support during stressful periods, describing the responses as “surprisingly structured” but ultimately limited in emotional depth and accountability compared to human therapy.

Reddit users themselves are also raising concerns about over-reliance. One widely upvoted discussion questioned the long-term effects of using ChatGPT as a therapist, reflecting growing awareness of emotional dependency risks even among regular users.

Across studies and user testimony, a consistent pattern is emerging: AI chatbots are increasingly being used not just for productivity, but as always-available spaces for emotional processing, particularly in moments when human support feels inaccessible, expensive or uncomfortable.

Researchers say the shift highlights a widening disconnect between how these systems were designed as general-purpose assistants and how they are increasingly functioning in people’s emotional lives.