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Daily use of generative AI tools such as chatbots was linked to higher rates of depression among US adults, according to a study published on Jan. 21, 2026, in JAMA Network Open, with researchers reporting a 30% rise in the odds of at least moderate depressive symptoms among daily users compared with less frequent users.
In the study, researchers said they found that “Greater levels of AI use were associated with modest increases in depressive symptoms,” while also noting that the likelihood of at least moderate depression rose by 30% among people who used AI every day.
The findings were drawn from a nationwide survey and were presented as an association rather than proof that one factor directly caused the other.
The research was based on a survey of 20,847 US adults carried out between April and May 2025.
Within the sample, 10.3% reported using generative AI daily, and 5.3% said they turned to chatbots multiple times throughout their day.
In this context, “generative AI” refers to AI systems that produce text responses, such as chatbot-style tools designed to hold conversations and generate content based on prompts.
Researchers indicated that younger users seemed particularly vulnerable to the mental health effects seen in the data, though the study did not establish whether AI use led to depression or whether people already experiencing depression were more likely to seek out digital interaction through AI chat.
They stressed that further research is needed to work out whether the relationship is causal and to explain why the pattern differed across age groups.
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