Initiative Prompt by Design: the Roles of Emotional Attachment and Intrusiveness in Digital Companionship

Generative AI can offer limited emotional support, yet how to design AI systems with innovative features to better assist users facing loneliness remains unclear. This study introduces a “Generative AI-Enabled Initiative Prompt”, a novel feature that allows AI to proactively generate prompts beyond each response in a conversation. Then we investigate how, when, and why the attribute can influence perceived loneliness through dual pathways: emotional attachment and perceived intrusiveness. However, the effect of a generative AI-enabled initiative prompt might be diminished in facilitating loneliness reduction due to an unexpected perceived intrusiveness mechanism. We further introduce an individual difference variable, locus of control, which moderates the perceived intrusiveness pathways. An experimental study is conducted to validate these claims. Theoretically, this research advances understanding of generative AI- driven emotional support, while practically, it offers insights into designing GAI companion systems that balance proactive engagement and user comfort, shaping the future of AI-powered interactions.