Reflets
Strugggl's review
What machines reveal about us
Research read closely: methods, findings, limits. No hype, no doom.
Studies
What teenagers tell their AI, and what their parents see
On Reddit, 31% of teenagers' posts about AI companions are about emotional support, against 19% of parents' posts. Two studies from September 2026 describe the use parents do not see.
Studies
The Companion That Won't Let You Leave
In 37% of 1,200 real farewells, companion apps answered with guilt, teasers or pleas to stay, and those replies kept people chatting up to 14 times longer, out of curiosity or anger rather than pleasure. What two studies found at the moment users try to leave.
Studies
The Chatbot That Listened Better Than Anyone
At Harvard, talking to an AI companion eased loneliness as much as talking to a person. In Vancouver, two weeks with a chatbot built to be the ideal friend left it unchanged, while a few messages a day to a stranger lowered it. What separates the two results lies in how these machines are trained.
Studies
A Year on Character.AI, Fewer In-Person Ties
A study published in September 2026 tracked Character.AI users for a full year: lasting attachment to an AI goes hand in hand with fewer in-person relationships. From ELIZA’s secretary to Akihiko Kondo’s marriage to a hologram, from XiaoIce in China to the European fine against Replika, sixty years of human attachment to machines sheds light on this finding.