Poland’s new “Relationships in the Age of AI” report suggests that a personal chat with an AI system is not the same as accepting it as an emotional relationship. That distinction should shape debate about how these tools are designed and regulated: short-term help can be useful without becoming evidence that people want algorithms to replace close human ties.
The findings, published on 14 November, say that 67.4% of Polish adults who are online use AI tools. Among AI users, 30.6% said they had held non-task or personal conversations with them. Accounts cited in the report point to practical reasons: sorting through emotions after an argument, preparing for a difficult conversation, or raising an embarrassing subject without feeling judged. A chat system being available at night is a useful feature; it is not the same thing as a reciprocal bond.
The wider results draw that boundary clearly. The report says 78.7% of respondents oppose entering emotional relationships with technology. Its authors also state that family and trusted friends remain the foundation of a sense of security across generations, while AI did not belong to any group’s closest circle of relationships.
It would be wrong to portray the results as a rejection of every personal use of AI. Nearly one in three adult users reported such conversations, indicating a real demand for non-judgmental support outside other people’s availability. But it would be equally misleading to treat that use as consent to emotional substitution.
The study, as reported by Nauka w Polsce, included a representative sample of 3,423 adults, 562 parent-teen pairs and 80 in-depth interviews. Its strongest contribution is to separate two questions that product rhetoric often blends together. AI may help someone organise their thoughts or prepare to speak with another person. It should not claim that the availability of an interface can reproduce the reciprocity, responsibility and trust of a close relationship.
Sources
- Nauka w Polsce · Fundacja PAP — Źródło: Nauka w Polsce (Fundacja PAP) (https://naukawpolsce.pl/) · Source date: 2026-11-14
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-15