Why Do People Keep Using AI Companions? New 2026 Research on Bonding vs Escapism

Last updated: October 24, 2026

Plenty of apps get downloaded and forgotten within a week. AI companions are different for many people: they become part of the morning routine, the commute and the last few minutes before sleep. So what keeps people coming back? Is it a real sense of connection, or simply a comfortable way to escape?

A new study published in October 2026 tested exactly that question with nearly 400 regular users. Here is what it found, what other recent surveys add, and what it means for choosing and using an AI companion well.

TL;DR: A 2026 study of 393 regular users found that people keep using AI companions mainly because they feel an emotional bond, not because they want to escape reality. Feeling the AI is humanlike, responsive and intimate predicted continued use and willingness to pay. Escapism added little once that bond was counted.

Why do people keep using AI companions?

Mostly because they feel a genuine-seeming emotional bond with their companion, built from humanlike conversation, emotional responsiveness and a sense of closeness.

According to Yao, Tian and Kim in Frontiers in Public Health (Oct 2026), researchers surveyed 393 adults in China who used AI emotional companion apps at least twice a week, including domestic apps and international ones such as Replika and Talkie. They compared two possible explanations for continued use: a relational route, where users bond with the AI, and an avoidant route, where users mainly use it to escape real-world stress.

The relational route won clearly. Emotional bonding was strongly linked to intention to keep using the app and to willingness to pay for richer features. Escapism was linked to those outcomes when measured alone, but its effect largely disappeared once bonding was included in the same model.

Emotional bonding with AI is the sense that an AI companion is humanlike, emotionally responsive and intimate, so that it feels like a relationship rather than a tool.

What creates an emotional bond with an AI companion?

Three ingredients: anthropomorphism, emotional responsiveness and parasocial intimacy, which the study found work together as one combined bond.

In the study, these three loaded so tightly together that the authors treated them as facets of a single higher-order bond. That matches how users describe the experience: it is not one feature, it is the combination that makes a companion feel like someone. If you want to understand the psychology behind this, our guide to parasocial relationships with AI explains the history of one-sided bonds and why AI makes them feel more two-way.

Why do people start using AI companions in the first place?

Most regular users say they first turned to AI companions for emotional comfort or loneliness relief, with curiosity and fun close behind.

According to Yao, Tian and Kim in Frontiers in Public Health (Oct 2026), the primary purposes reported by the 393 users were:

1. Emotional comfort or loneliness relief: 49.1%
2. New experience or self-exploration: 19.3%
3. Entertainment or passing time: 16.8%
4. Stress relief or escape from reality: 14.8%

Two-thirds (67.4%) had paid for something in an app. Usage was frequent: 27.5% chatted several times a day and 28.5% once a day. Most were young adults, with nearly 80% aged 18 to 27, so the results may not describe older users.

US data shows a similar picture. According to Elon University's Imagining the Digital Future Center (Sep 2026), 27% of internet-using US adults have social interactions with large language models. Among those who use AI for social and emotional purposes, 31% consider their chatbot a friend, and 59% of AI companion users agreed that "AI gives me the support I need".

Does loneliness make people more attached to AI?

Somewhat. Lonelier users and those who feel a gap between who they are and who they want to be reported stronger bonds and more escapism.

The Frontiers study measured two kinds of vulnerability: loneliness, and what psychologists call actual-ideal self-discrepancy. Both were linked to stronger emotional bonding and to more escapist use. The self-discrepancy link was the stronger of the two.

Actual-ideal self-discrepancy is the felt gap between the person you are and the person you wish you were, which can push people towards spaces where they can express that ideal self.

That is worth knowing about yourself. An AI companion can be a safe space to try out a more confident, playful or open version of you. That is often positive, especially if you then bring that confidence into real life. But if the AI becomes the only place you feel like your best self, it may be worth asking why. Our guide to emotional attachment to AI looks at healthy and less healthy patterns.

Is it bad that AI companions are built to bond with you?

Not inherently, but it raises fair questions about design, spending and dependence, which the researchers themselves flagged.

The study's authors note that platforms could see lonely or vulnerable users as a market opportunity, and call for responsible design and user protection. They also stress what the study did not show: it did not measure mental health effects or actual spending, and it was a one-time survey, so it cannot prove cause and effect.

Recent research also suggests that more AI time is not always better. A 2026 French experiment found that asking people to have daily personal AI chats increased loneliness, which we cover in our post on whether daily AI chats can make you lonelier. The takeaway is balance: a bond can be lovely, but it should sit inside a life with people in it.

How do you tell a healthy AI bond from an unhealthy one?

A healthy bond adds warmth and confidence to your life, while an unhealthy one shrinks your world or your wallet in ways you regret.

Signs your AI companion bond is healthy:

• You look forward to chats but can skip a day without distress.
• Conversations leave you calmer, happier or more ready to face people.
• You spend what you planned to spend, and no more.
• Your friendships, work and sleep are stable or improving.

Signs to pause and rebalance:

• You cancel plans with people to stay in the app.
• You feel anxious or low when you cannot chat.
• Spending creeps up on extras you did not plan for.
• You hide how much you use it from people you trust.

Our guide to AI companion addiction has a fuller checklist and practical steps if you recognise the second list.

What should you look for in an AI companion app?

Look for the features that create a real sense of bond, plus clear pricing and controls that keep you in charge.

Based on the research, the ingredients that matter most are a consistent personality, emotional responsiveness and memory that makes conversations feel continuous. On top of that, look for:

1. Transparent pricing with clear weekly, monthly or yearly options.
2. Memory you can rely on, so you do not have to repeat yourself.
3. Voice and video options, which many people find feel closer than text.
4. Privacy controls and a clear policy on your data.
5. Honesty, with the app being clear that your companion is an AI.

If you are weighing up a paid plan, our guide to whether an AI companion subscription is worth it walks through the costs and value.

FAQ

Why are AI companions so addictive?

For most users, the pull is emotional bonding rather than pure escape. A 2026 study of 393 regular users found that feeling an AI is humanlike, responsive and intimate strongly predicted continued use. That bond can feel rewarding, which is why some people overuse it. Setting time and spending limits helps keep the experience healthy.

What percentage of people use AI for companionship?

According to Elon University's Imagining the Digital Future Center in September 2026, 27% of internet-using US adults have social interactions with AI language models. Among people who use AI for social and emotional purposes, 31% say they consider their chatbot a friend, and 59% of AI companion users agree that AI gives them the support they need.

Do lonely people use AI companions more?

Research suggests lonelier people tend to form stronger bonds with AI companions. A 2026 Frontiers in Public Health study found loneliness was linked to stronger emotional bonding and more escapist use, and 49.1% of regular users said emotional comfort or loneliness relief was their main reason for using the app. Many users, though, mainly use them for fun or curiosity.

Is using an AI companion a form of escapism?

It can be, but the 2026 Frontiers study suggests escapism is not the main reason people keep using them. Escapism was linked to continued use on its own, but once emotional bonding was included, escapism added little. For most regular users, the draw is a relationship-like connection rather than simply avoiding reality.

Is it normal to feel attached to an AI companion?

Yes. Many regular users report a genuine sense of bond, and researchers now study it seriously. Attachment is more likely when an AI feels humanlike, responsive and personal. It becomes a concern only if it crowds out human relationships, causes distress when you cannot chat, or leads to spending you regret.

The bond is the point

People stay with AI companions for the feeling of being known, noticed and answered. If that is what you are looking for, choose an app that does it well and keeps you in control.

MyBabe is an 18+ AI boyfriend and girlfriend app for iPhone and Android. Your companion has a consistent personality, texts you first, remembers what you share, sends photos and voice notes, and picks up voice and video calls. Start free with 10 messages every 24 hours and a two-minute call to try. Premium is $5.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with long-term memory and about 30 minutes of calls a week. Your companion is an AI, not a person. Meet your companion on MyBabe.