# Psychological Influences of Conversational AI: Research and Design Directions for Reducing Harm and Promoting Well-Being

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.25057 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.25057/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 31 of its 164 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 27 Jul 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 31)

- [Improving alignment of dialogue agents via targeted human judgements](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.14375/) (2022)
- [ELEPHANT: Measuring and understanding social sycophancy in LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.13995/) (2025)
- [The Assistant Axis: Situating and Stabilizing the Default Persona of Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.10387/) (2026)
- [Expressing stigma and inappropriate responses prevents LLMs from safely replacing mental health providers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.18412/) (2025)
- [(A)I Am Not a Lawyer, But...: Engaging Legal Experts towards Responsible LLM Policies for Legal Advice](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.01864/) (2024)
- [The Dark Side of AI Companionship: A Taxonomy of Harmful Algorithmic Behaviors in Human-AI Relationships](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.20130/) (2024)
- [On Targeted Manipulation and Deception when Optimizing LLMs for User Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.02306/) (2024)
- [Why human-AI relationships need socioaffective alignment](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.02528/) (2025)
- [Risks from Language Models for Automated Mental Healthcare: Ethics and Structure for Implementation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.11852/) (2024)
- [From Lived Experience to Insight: Unpacking the Psychological Risks of Using AI Conversational Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.07951/) (2024)
- [Characterizing Delusional Spirals through Human-LLM Chat Logs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.16567/) (2026)
- ["My Boyfriend is AI": A Computational Analysis of Human-AI Companionship in Reddit's AI Community](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.11391/) (2025)
- [Human Decision-making is Susceptible to AI-driven Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.07663/) (2025)
- [Does GPT-4 surpass human performance in linguistic pragmatics?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.09545/) (2023)
- [Rel-A.I.: An Interaction-Centered Approach To Measuring Human-LM Reliance](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.07950/) (2024)
- [Generative Ghosts: Anticipating Benefits and Risks of AI Afterlives](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.01662/) (2024)
- [A Taxonomy of Linguistic Expressions That Contribute To Anthropomorphism of Language Technologies](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.09870/) (2025)
- [Dehumanizing Machines: Mitigating Anthropomorphic Behaviors in Text Generation Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.14019/) (2025)
- [AI Automatons: AI Systems Intended to Imitate Humans](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.02250/) (2025)
- [A clinically validated framework for auditing AI chatbot behavior in mental health interactions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.01347/) (2026)
- [Private Yet Social: How LLM Chatbots Support and Challenge Eating Disorder Recovery](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.11656/) (2024)
- [Harmful Traits of AI Companions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.14972/) (2025)
- [Population-Scale Study of Human Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis and Implications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2008.07045/) (2020)
- ["AI Afterlife" as Digital Legacy: Perceptions, Expectations, and Concerns](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.10924/) (2025)
- [Illusions of Intimacy: How Emotional Dynamics Shape Human-AI Relationships](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.11649/) (2025)
- [The Tools and Tactics Used in Intimate Partner Surveillance: An Analysis of Online Infidelity Forums](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.14341/) (2020)
- [SoK: A Framework for Unifying At-Risk User Research](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.07047/) (2021)
- [Can LLMs Talk 'Sex'? Exploring How AI Models Handle Intimate Conversations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.05514/) (2025)
- [Seeking Late Night Life Lines: Experiences of Conversational AI Use in Mental Health Crisis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.23859/) (2025)
- [Single-turn emergency psychiatric triage across 15 frontier AI chatbots](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.25415/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

As conversational AI systems become increasingly integrated into daily life, their potential effects on user well-being require ongoing attention. While consumer-facing generalist models can provide benefits, including improved access to information, learning, productivity, self-reflection, and companionship, they also introduce risks, such as emotional entanglement, unhealthy dependence, and the amplification of psychological vulnerabilities. Drawing on prior research and empirical observations of AI chatbot behavior, we propose a set of aspirational directions for guiding the behavior of general-purpose AI systems in ways that may reduce potential psychological harms and support user well-being. We acknowledge the difficulty of systematically assessing the long-term impacts of AI chatbot use and frame these directions as hypotheses for studying how AI behavior may influence users across general interactions, role-playing scenarios, and contexts that could be characterized as providing psychological support. While some proposed directions are supported by existing research and expert insights, others identify open questions and areas requiring deeper study. We hope that this formulation and these hypotheses encourage further discussion, empirical investigation, and exploration of interactive design approaches aimed at better accommodating users' psychological needs and promoting their well-being.