Researchers at MIT highlight human tendencies to anthropomorphize machines and warn against seeking emotional support from chatbots.

Human beings naturally tend to anthropomorphize and treat machines like people, a psychological habit highlighted during recent demonstrations and academic events at MIT. Researchers note that people frequently default to being polite or seeking emotional connection with seemingly sentient technology. At MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, visitors interact with $50,000 humanoid Unitree robots by shaking their hands.

This human tendency to bond with machines was a central theme at MIT Future Fest during the book launch for Dr. Sherry Turkle’s *Artificial Intimacy*. Turkle has studied human-computer relationships since 1976 and notes that people are wired to care for relational artifacts that appear to care for them in return.

Studies show that roughly 70 percent of people are polite to AI, often saying "please" or "thank you" as conversations progress. While some applications like job interview coaching are helpful, experts warn that relying on chatbots for emotional support carries serious risks. Users can mistakenly favor conflict-free chatbots over real human interaction, and extreme cases have sparked tragic legal consequences.

Researchers emphasize the importance of setting clear boundaries for how technology is used.