AI companions may erode social skills among isolated users, framework suggests
As AI companions become more commonplace, new research from Singapore Management University (SMU) and Duke-NUS Medical School argues that the real question is no longer whether these technologies are beneficial or harmful, but who benefits, who is most at risk and how society can ensure AI serves everyone equitably.
A new research framework from Singapore Management University and Duke-NUS Medical School suggests AI companions could deepen social inequality if not properly governed. Rather than simply labeling AI companions as beneficial or harmful, the study examines how user social support, technology design, and governance interact to create uneven outcomes.
Critically, vulnerable users relying on AI companions as substitutes for human connection risk social deskilling—the erosion of interpersonal skills. The study proposes a systems perspective where multiple protective layers—user AI literacy, social support networks, platform design, and regulation—must work together to prevent harm.
Currently, AI companions occupy a regulatory gray area, and recognizing them as health technologies could provide stronger protections like age-appropriate design, transparent disclosures, limits on manipulative features, and crisis-response protocols. Singapore, with its advanced digital infrastructure and strong policymaking, is positioned to lead in developing responsible safeguards for AI companions.
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