Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

12-2025

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly integrated into daily life, not only as tools but also as social partners that people may turn to for interaction and support. This raises important questions about whether, how, and why individuals form attachment-like bonds with AI, and the psychological implications of such attachments. Across five studies involving 1259 unique participants from Singapore and the U.S., the current work developed and validated the 15-item AI Attachment Scale and investigated the dispositional and motivational factors associated with attachment to AI, as well as its emotional and social outcomes. The AI Attachment Scale displayed strong psychometric properties, including a reliable three-factor structure comprising of emotional closeness, social substitution, and normative regard subscales, strong convergent and discriminant validity, and high test–retest reliability. Examination of correlates revealed that time spent on AI, particularly when driven by socioemotional motivations, was strongly associated with AI attachment. Individuals higher in social anxiety, loneliness, and anxious attachment were also more likely to turn to AI as a compensatory surrogate when human connections were lacking. These tendencies were further linked to dispositional needs fulfilled by AI, including needs for closure through predictability, relatedness through socioemotional presence, and competence through affirming feedback. At the same time, stronger AI attachment is associated with heightened positive affect and life satisfaction, suggesting that AI attachment may satisfy psychological needs and provide meaningful emotional benefits. These findings provide the first validated measure of AI attachment and offer a foundation for future research on its psychological and societal implications.

Keywords

Artificial intelligence, Attachment, Emotional closeness, Social substitution, Scale validation

Discipline

Applied Behavior Analysis | Artificial Intelligence and Robotics | Social Psychology

Research Areas

Psychology

Publication

Computers in Human Behavior Reports

Volume

21

First Page

1

Last Page

20

ISSN

2451-9588

Identifier

10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100912

Publisher

Elsevier

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100912

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