Anthropic's recent analysis of 4.5 million user conversations with its Claude chatbot reveals that emotional support and companionship represent a small fraction of AI interactions. Only 2.9% of conversations involved users seeking emotional advice, while companionship and role-playing accounted for less than 0.5%. The primary use of AI chatbots remains focused on work-related tasks, content creation, and productivity.
However, the report notes a trend where users seek advice on interpersonal matters, including mental health, personal development and communication skills. Longer interactions sometimes evolve from support-seeking to companionship, particularly when users express feelings of loneliness. While AI can offer support, it avoids harmful advice. These findings highlight AI's role as a collaborative tool in professional settings, augmenting tasks rather than replacing jobs, and suggest a need for responsible AI deployment with ethical guidelines.