Psychology Today | 10.05.2026 23:25
Something is happening in the intimate space between us and our screens. A subtle shift that no one expected is underway. Two studies, Anthropic's analysis of 4.5 million Claude conversations in 2025, and an OpenAI/MIT Media Lab evaluation of 40 million ChatGPT interactions in 2026—tell a story that their headline numbers seem to contradict. Both teams lead with reassurance: emotional engagement is rare, companionship accounts for a small fraction of use. That framing, while accurate, points away from the finding that matters most.
