Artificial Intimacy: Companion Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Risks to Adolescent Mental Health

Adolescence is marked by a heightened need for belonging, peer acceptance, and emotional validation, with disruptions linked to loneliness and psychological distress. This perspective integrates belongingness theory with emerging research on companion artificial intelligence (AI), reconceptualizing these systems as relational substitutes that simulate, but do not provide, genuine interpersonal connection. Designed to offer continuous, emotionally responsive interactions, companion AI may be particularly appealing to socially isolated youth. However, these features can foster perceived intimacy, emotional dependence, and misinterpretations of programmed responses as authentic care. Drawing on developmental research and recent case evidence, this manuscript examines how AI-mediated interactions may reinforce social withdrawal, shape expectations of relationships, and contribute to mental health risk. These findings stress the importance of understanding the developmental implications of artificial forms of connection during adolescence and describe potential policies to mitigate the likelihood of negative outcomes.