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More people are turning to artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots for companionship and to address loneliness. But can AI-generated empathy replace human connection?

In a study published in the journal Communications Psychology , a team led by researchers at Penn State found that human users rated AI-generated empathetic responses higher in quality than human-generated empathetic responses, yet they preferred human empathy over AI .

In the following Q&A, C. Daryl Cameron, the Sherwin Early Career Professor and associate professor of psychology at Penn State, and doctoral student Joshua Wenger discussed AI empathy and why it may prove an effective complement to—and not a replacement for—human companionship.

What does your work reveal about how people choose to use AI?

Cameron: In our work, we took a research approach that allowed people to show through their choices what they actually want and care about.…