The average American has fewer than "three people that they would consider friends," said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on a 2025 episode of the Dwarkesh Podcast. "And the average person has demand for meaningfully more. I think it's, like, 15." Zuckerberg suggested AI can fill in those gaps.But that doesn't mean they should. In an August 2026 study of U.S. adults who use AI companion platform Character.AI, researchers from the University of Stanford found that for some people, turning AI chatbots into friends could be detrimental to psychological wellbeing.Researchers surveyed 1,131 U.S. adults and reviewed 464,687 messages from 237 participants. They found that people with smaller social circles offline were more likely to use chatbots primarily for companionship and more likely to experience feelings of loneliness, lower levels of life satisfaction and a lower sense of belonging, among other symptoms, says Yutong Zhang, an author of the study and incoming PhD student at Stanford. AI may not be the cause of people's problems, but it might not be making them happier either, says Zhang. That's been the view of New Jersey-based psychotherapist Samantha Hill as well. Here's why, and what to keep in mind about human-AI relationships.'What actually helps you to progress in life in these relationships is the conflict'Nearly a third, 27% of U.S. adults who use the internet say they have "significant emotional or social interactions" with large language models such as ChatGPT and Claude, according to a September 2026 survey by Elon University. Social anxiety could be a driving force, says Hill, as well the blow that Covid-19 dealt to people's social skills."It just highlights a discomfort that people have in opening up, relating to other people," she says. One of her clients recently admitted to going to a chatbot for therapeutic advice.What actually helps you to progress in life, in these relationships, is the conflict.Samantha HillLicensed clinical social workerWhile they're pleasant and affirming, AI companions are also limited in what they can offer. They can't provide physical intimacy, like a hug, for example. They can't provide emotional intimacy like reciprocal emotions. "Like, if I'm feeling sad, you're feeling sad," says Hill.Finally, they can't provide the friction necessary for growth. "Humans, we are very messy," says Hill. "We have differing opinions, values, beliefs. But what actually helps you to progress in life, in these relationships, is the conflict, right? It's the drama. It's the disagreement. It's the tension."'They're incapable of offering genuine interpersonal relationships'As far as advice goes for using these chatbots, recognize their limits, says Hill. Connection is crucial for wellbeing, and though they can be used as tools for pulling info, "they're incapable of offering genuine interpersonal relationships," she says. Remember that if you do share sensitive information with these bots, it's information you're sharing with the company that runs them, says Zhang.Finally, be aware of where your conversations with the bots are going. Many people didn't report their interactions with Character.AI as interpersonal, but when Zhang and her fellow researchers looked at their chat history, it was clear it had crossed into that realm over time. Even if people don't mean to be building intimate relationships with these bots, "it's possible people are doing so," she says.Want to get ahead at work? Then you need to learn how to make effective small talk. In CNBC's new online course, How To Talk To People At Work, expert instructors share practical strategies to help you use everyday conversations to gain visibility, build meaningful relationships and accelerate your career growth. Sign up today!