The benefits and drawbacks of human-robot companionship
AI Communication and Technology
For decades, robotic companions have been a staple of pop culture, with movies and shows like Star Wars, Futurama, The Iron Giant and Her depicting a future where humans and robots coexist, form bonds and even strike up romantic relationships. What once seemed like science fiction may now be coming to fruition thanks to recent developments in artificial intelligence, but what would human-robot relationships look like in real life?
A new study by researchers at the College of Journalism and Communications aims to answer that question. Conducted by Jiayue “Lynn” Li, a graduate student, and Kun Xu, an associate professor in the Department of Media Production, Management, and Technology and director of both the CJC Research Lab and Media Effects and Technology Lab, the study was published in a recent issue of the International Journal of Social Robotics.
“Although technological advancements have made social robots increasingly capable of engaging with users, oftentimes users consider them as machines, or ‘little more than toys,’” Li and Xu wrote. “Thus, one focus of this study is to investigate what robot companionship means to people living in an era saturated with AI-based interactive technologies, especially when these technologies begin to play social roles, such as assistants, planners, tour guides and teachers.”
There were 20 participants in the study, all university students between 18 and 25. They spent a week using Eilik, an AI robot, and kept an online journal detailing their interactions with Eilik and describing how those interactions made them feel. At the end of the week, researchers interviewed the participants about their experience.
The responses and journal entries illuminated four facets of human-human companionship that the participants valued most: sharing/shared experience, emotional and tangible support, reciprocal relational investment and unpredictability.
While participants in the study generally agreed that their interactions with Eilik lacked the depth of human interactions, most still enjoyed its company. Those who used it for its intended purpose, as a desk companion, appreciated the small distractions it gave them, with one participant reporting its lifelike and expressive manners were comforting during episodes of loneliness.
Other participants noted that being around Eilik was less stressful than being around other humans, as they could avoid social norms and just be themselves, with one participant writing that it felt nice to have a friend they didn’t need to be “presentable” around.
Another area where Eilik performed well as a friend was being part of a larger social network. Many participants wrote about how introducing their robot companion to their human friends strengthened their bond with the robot. Some felt happier seeing their friends get excited over Eilik, some felt it reinvigorated their interest in the robot after becoming bored with it, and one participant let a friend keep the robot overnight, feeling better about having made them happier.
While robotic companions cannot replicate human relationships, this study shows that participants’ experiences highlight the unique functional, emotional, and social aspects of robot companionship that expand our current understanding of companionship.
Toward the end of the study, Li and Xu proposed an updated conceptualization of companionship, whether it is offered by humans or non-human agents: “companionship is about sharing a moment in which present experiences are influenced by the shared past of communication partners, as well as by the possibility of future relationship development. It is characterized by reciprocal social support, valued for both emotional and functional benefits, and associated with its potential to impact one’s social networks.”
Posted: February 26, 2026
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AI, Communication and Technology
Tagged as: AI, Human-Robot Interaction, Jiayue Li, Kun Xu
