New Yorkers Are Using Chatbots for Something Totally Unexpected

If you thought people used chatbots for love advice or deep life reflections, think again. A new survey found that New Yorkers mostly fire up AI when work gets awkward. Chatbots are basically our digital HR department helping us rewrite emails so we sound professional even when we’re this close to losing it.

Fixing Wi-Fi, Friend Drama, and Panic Spirals

It doesn’t stop at workplace politics. When the printer jams five seconds before a meeting, New Yorkers turn to AI instead of the IT guy. When a friend sends a weird one-word reply, chatbots serve as our emotional detectives.

They’re also becoming late-night therapists. Unlike real people, chatbots don’t sigh or tell us to “relax.” They just respond calmly like it’s their job. Parents are even using them during bedtime meltdowns, asking things like “how do I get my kid to sleep without bribery?”

We’re Spending a Lot More Time with Bots Than We Realize

According to the survey, New Yorkers are spending almost 35 extra days a year online because of chatbot use. That’s over a month of typing things like “please tell me I’m not crazy” into a robot. If you think that’s a lot, people in South Dakota spend almost two full months bonding with AI. Meanwhile, Vermont barely checks in with chatbots at all.

Do We See Chatbots as Tools… or Friends?

Most New Yorkers claimed that using a chatbot feels more like using an app than talking to someone. But actions speak louder than surveys. Nearly a quarter of people said they would miss their chatbot if it disappeared.

Plenty admitted they’d rather confide in AI than talk to a therapist or even a priest. Some have already dropped an “I love you” — half as a joke, half as a “just in case you understand me better than my spouse.”

The Weird Side of Human-AI Friendship

Here’s where things get a little weird. Some New Yorkers said they would cancel plans just to keep chatting with AI. Others admitted they’d feel more hurt by criticism from a chatbot than a stranger.

Get our free mobile app

Many claimed chatbots give better advice than their friends. One in four said they’d be fine with a chatbot officiating their wedding. More than a quarter admitted they value their AI more than Netflix or Spotify — which is saying a lot. To see how much other states are spending with Chatbots, go here.