AI isn’t just for homework: Gen Z uses it to outsource difficult conversations too
A growing number of Gen Zers are using artificial intelligence to navigate tricky social interactions, from crafting breakup messages to decoding mixed signals.
AI isn’t just for homework: Gen Z uses it to outsource difficult conversations too
A growing number of Gen Zers are using artificial intelligence to navigate tricky social interactions, from crafting breakup messages to decoding mixed signals.
Experts caution that this reliance on AI may stunt emotional growth and leave an already socially isolated generation less prepared for real-life human connection.
Take the example of Emily and Patrick, juniors at Yale University. After a blind date, Patrick drafted a long, polite text to Emily, seeking clarity about their relationship, with heavy assistance from ChatGPT. “I wasn’t sure how to format this in a way that’s not really bad, so I went to Chat,” Patrick said. He made minor tweaks, added an emoji, and sent it, believing AI guidance would make him more forthcoming.
Emily, however, found the AI-crafted text confusing and unclear. She isn’t alone: many young people rely on AI to write messages or analyze social situations, sometimes pasting entire text threads into chatbots to interpret others’ intentions.
Researchers call this trend “social offloading.” Dr. Michael Robb of Common Sense Media explains that outsourcing communication to AI can create an “expectation mismatch” and erode users’ confidence in their own voices. One-third of teens now prefer AI companions for serious conversations, according to a 2025 survey.
Dr. Michelle DiBlasi, a psychiatrist at Tufts University, warns that using AI for social interaction can perpetuate loneliness, limit emotional growth, and interfere with learning social cues and repairing relationships. Russell Fulmer, a behavioral sciences researcher at Kansas State University, adds that the pandemic exacerbated these challenges, interrupting critical adolescent social development.
Still, experts stress that it’s not too late for Gen Z to strengthen social skills. Both DiBlasi and Robb emphasize practicing real conversations with friends and family. Messiness in relationships is important: it teaches conflict resolution, empathy, and resilience, qualities AI cannot replicate.
Parents are advised to monitor AI use, look for social withdrawal, and have open conversations about when AI can help and when human connection is irreplaceable. “AI is a poor substitute for the messiness of real human interaction,” Robb said. “And that messiness is exactly what builds social competence.”
