Study: Adults and women anthropomorphize AI companions more than teens

A new arXiv preprint (June 2026) from researchers Mubashir, Moraski, Choi, and Guingrich investigates how age, gender, and emotional expression relate to anthropomorphism in AI companion communities. Using publicly available Reddit data from three major AI companion subreddits, the team analyzed user discussions to measure tendencies to attribute human-like qualities to chatbots. They explored three key questions: how age and gender correlate with anthropomorphism, how emotional expression relates to it, and whether age and gender moderate that relationship.

The findings reveal that adults and women anthropomorphize AI companions significantly more than teens and men. Positive emotional expression—particularly joy—is strongly associated with higher anthropomorphism, while neutral expressions show a negative association. Importantly, both these relationships were more pronounced in adults than in teens. The results challenge the conventional assumption that younger users are the primary group susceptible to anthropomorphism harms, prompting a reevaluation of digital safety guidelines. As millions increasingly rely on AI companions for emotional support, understanding demographic nuances becomes critical for designing safer interactions.