The AI-hooked younger generation is sourcing chatbot help even for in-person talks

Young adults are increasingly turning to chatbots to script parts of their social lives—even face-to-face conversations, not just texts. The report describes how some users rely on tools like ChatGPT for pickup lines, party icebreakers and real-time replies to people nearby. A 20-year-old cancer researcher, Niharika Abbaraju, uses ChatGPT daily at work, but off the clock it becomes a “conversation coach,” including pulling AI summaries when conversation drifts to a book she hasn’t read. Others cited include Northwestern student Lucas Dvorak and his girlfriend’s reaction, plus Kalin Lincoln, who uses AI to cool down angry emails and prep “note cards.” Psychologists warn this can fuel an “epidemic of self-mistrust,” delaying discomfort instead of building confidence.