Health · Mental Health · 13 hrs ago
Expert warns against relying on AI chatbots for emotional support
More young people are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support.
Prakriti Saxena Poddar, a mental health and wellbeing expert at Roundglass, says chatbots can offer a non-judgmental place to express feelings, but they cannot replace human relationships.
She warns that repeatedly asking a chatbot for reassurance may briefly ease anxiety before doubts return, prompting another request.
Relying on chatbots to make personal decisions or handle every difficult conversation may also limit chances to build self-trust and emotional resilience.
Those skills develop through experiences such as making decisions, sitting with uncomfortable feelings and repairing disagreements.
Poddar advises using AI to organise thoughts and consider different viewpoints, rather than asking it to decide what to do.
Human relationships involve mutual care and accountability that a chatbot cannot provide.
Mental health expert Prakriti Saxena Poddar warns that repeatedly relying on AI chatbots for emotional reassurance may reinforce anxiety and weaken self-trust.
She says chatbots can offer temporary comfort but should complement, not replace, human connection.
Depending on chatbots for difficult conversations or personal decisions may hinder the development of emotional resilience.
Poddar recommends using AI to organise thoughts and consider different perspectives, rather than asking it to decide what to do.
She says human relationships involve reciprocity, shared experiences and accountability that chatbots cannot provide.
- Who
- Prakriti Saxena Poddar, a mental health and wellbeing expert and global head at Roundglass.
- What
- She warns that excessive reliance on AI chatbots for emotional support may reinforce anxiety and hinder emotional skills.
- When
- Published on October 11, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- Repeatedly seeking reassurance from chatbots may weaken self-trust and prevent people from building emotional resilience.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Use AI to organise your thoughts, not to hand down verdicts. ‘Help me see what I might be missing’ works better than ‘Tell me what to do’
A chatbot can produce warm words. It cannot be moved by yours
Emotional capacities are built through friction, the way muscle is built through resistance.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Expert
- Prakriti Saxena Poddar
- Organisation
- Roundglass
- Publication date
- October 11, 2026
- Outlet
- Hindustan Times
Sources
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