New research reveals that artificial intelligence is quietly carving out a niche in Britain’s personal lives, with 1 in 6 adults having chosen a chatbot over a real friend for advice.

The study, commissioned by greeting card marketplace thortful, found that 16.8% of UK adults have turned to AI for comfort, a second opinion, or guidance instead of calling a human mate.

Furthermore, 12.8% of respondents described their chatbot as a genuine long-term companion. Friends proved to be the most , rather than partners, parents and even managers.

Despite the rise of AI assistants, human connection still remains important. Nearly 69% of Brits have never replaced a person with AI and almost half prefer their own judgment to automated suggestions.

The data also highlighted interesting demographic divides: men were notably more likely to view their AI as a long-term companion (16.4% compared to 9.7% of women), while women were twice as likely to rate chatbot advice as genuinely logical.  Geographically, residents in Edinburgh, Southampton, and Manchester showed the highest attachment levels, with around 1 in 5 describing their chatbot as a long-term companion.

Behaviour specialist Sim Shamu notes that turning to AI isn’t necessarily a cause for alarm, provided it serves as a constructive tool rather than a replacement for human relationships.

“I don’t think turning to AI before another person is automatically a cause for concern,” Shamu said. “For me, the important thing is what the tool is doing for you. Used like that, it can act almost like rehearsal – helping someone organise their thoughts, understand a concept and then going back into the real interaction better prepared.”

While over half of surveyed Brits have used AI for tasks ranging from drafting work emails to seeking help during arguments, the findings suggest humans are largely using technology as a digital sounding board for minor dilemmas rather than abandoning real friendships altogether.

https://www.thortful.com/blog/how-brits-are-using-ai/

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