Abstract
<p>Although growing evidence suggests that some individuals use generative artificial intelligence (GAI) for emotional support and companionship, little is known about how prevalent these experiences are, who is most likely to report them, and how they relate to psychosocial adjustment. The present study addressed these questions using a regionally representative sample of 1,406 university students from 26 universities in Shanghai, China (Mage = 18.98 years, SD = 1.25, 59.7% female). Results indicated that most participants primarily viewed AI as a functional tool, whereas emotionally meaningful engagement remained relatively uncommon. Nevertheless, approximately one in seven participants reported moderate to high levels of personal disclosure or emotional attachment to AI. Emotional and relational engagement with AI was more common among individuals reporting greater interpersonal vulnerabilities and lower relational resources. Different forms of AI engagement also showed distinct patterns of association with psychosocial adjustment. Assistance-oriented engagement was associated with more positive interpersonal orientations, whereas more emotionally intensive forms of engagement were associated with poorer psychosocial adjustment. These findings suggest that emotional engagement with AI is already a meaningful experience for a subset of young adults and is embedded within broader patterns of interpersonal functioning and psychosocial adjustment.</p>