Studies have shown that artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are effective in relieving loneliness and social anxiety.
Chung Doo -young, a professor of medical science at Ulsan Science and Technology (UNIST, President Jong -rae Park), analyzed the results of social chatbots and dialogue on mental health through joint research with Professor Cho Hyun -chul of Korea University Anam Hospital.
This study used Scatter Lab’s ‘Iruda 2.0’.
A complete of 176 participants were recruited to speak with social chatbots thrice per week for 4 weeks, after which measured the extent of loneliness and social anxiety as standardized questionnaire.
The info was compared and analyzed before and after the experiment, and a small interview was conducted to investigate the experiences of the participants in depth. This focused on how much interaction with chatbots contributes to strengthening individual emotional stability and social connections.
In line with the study, regular interactions with social chatbots reduce the common rating of 15% and reduce the social anxiety rating 18% on average.
If the user provides more details about their emotions, thoughts, and experiences, or if the user’s recovery is high, the loneliness of the chatbot is more distinguished. As well as, it’s analyzed that the emotional management effect of chatbots will probably be greater in users who’re having difficulty in face -to -face interaction.
Kim Myung -sung, Ph.D., the primary writer, said, “We’ve got confirmed that social chatbots could be used as an efficient digital tool for relieving loneliness and anxiety.” “Chatbots can provide emotional support beyond easy technical devices. It’s meaningful that it has revealed that it has an element related to interpersonal relationships. ”
Jung Doo -young, a professor of mental health medicine on the Department of Mental Health Medicine, said, “Whether it is secure, it could actually be useful for the prevention of mental health problems in an environment where skilled manpower is insufficient.”
The team is planning an extra research to enhance the usability of chatbots and strengthen personalized services.
The findings were published online on January 14 at Journal of Medical Web Research, the highest international journal of advanced digital healthcare.
The research was supported by the Korea Research Foundation, Information and Communication Planning Institute, and the Korea Radio Promotion Association.
By Park Soo -bin, sbin08@aitimes.com
