Key takeaways
- Nearly four in 10 Australians (39%) say they often feel lonely even when surrounded by other people, rising to 49% among Gen Z
- Nearly three in 10 Australian adults (28%) say they’ve opened up or been emotionally vulnerable with a chatbot like ChatGPT at least once
- One in six Australians (17%) say they’d sometimes rather stay home and talk to a chatbot than go out with friends
- One in seven (14%) Australians say they could imagine themselves falling in love with an AI chatbot rising to 28% among Gen Z
In the past year, there has been discussion about the role of AI as a tonic for loneliness. Now, new data from YouGov gauges how Australians feel about love, loneliness, and the role of AI in their personal lives.
Many Aussies state their social lives feel lacking. Two in five (39%) say they feel lonely even when surrounded by others, a figure that increases to almost half (49%) of Gen Z. This is significantly higher than either Millennials or Gen Xers (both 41%).
The main reasons for feeling lonely or isolated include that it’s “just how I’ve always felt” (38%), that they “find it hard to know what to talk about” (34%), and that they “find it hard to start conversations” (32%).
However, most Australians (82%) are able to identify someone they feel comfortable being vulnerable with. Romantic partners are the most likely (45%), followed by friends (38%), parents (21%), and siblings (20%). However, one in six (18%) say there is no one they feel comfortable opening up to.
Our research reveals that a sizeable portion of Australians are already turning to AI tools. Overall, approaching three in ten Australians (28%) say they’ve been vulnerable with a platform such as ChatGPT at least once, and over one in five (21%) say they’ve done this multiple times.
Using AI as an emotional or personal confidante appears to be especially common among Gen Z Australians. More than half (56%) say they’ve been emotionally vulnerable with am AI tool at least once, and four in 10 (41%) have done so multiple times.
YouGov’s data also points to the possibility that AI could reduce human-to-human interaction. One in six Australians (17%) say they’d sometimes rather talk to an AI tool than go out with friends. Men (23%) are far more likely to do this than women (11%). The sentiment is also more common among younger adults, with around one in four Gen Z (26%) and Millennials (24%) agreeing, compared with only one in eight from Gen X (13%).
In terms of humans taking things a step further with AI, our research also found that one in seven (14%) Australians say they could imagine falling in love with an AI tool. Consistent with broader trends in the data, men (17%) and Gen Z (28%) are most likely to hold this view. By comparison, many fewer women (10%) and Baby Boomers (4%) say the same.
Methodology: This survey was conducted online between the 4th - 8th September 2025. The sample comprised of a representative sample of 1,039 Australians aged 18 years and older.
The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Australian adults aged 18+.
