- Poll of 4,012 respondents.
- Friendship conflicts was followed by coping with anxiety + parenting struggles.
- Infographic showing survey results.
When Illinoisans open a chatbot, they’re often not looking for life advice or relationship therapy – they’re asking for help in navigating conflicts among friends. From misread texts to fallouts over plans, residents are treating AI as a pocket-sized peacekeeper that never picks favoritese.
That is, according to a new survey commissioned by AllSafeIT, an IT support provider – they asked 4,012 respondents where chatbots make the biggest difference in their daily lives, and Illinoisans’ top 5 uses were:
#1. Friendship conflicts.
Who needs a mediator when you’ve got AI? Whether it’s texting advice or decoding passive-aggressive emojis, chatbots make surprisingly diplomatic best friends.
#2. Coping with anxiety.
Sometimes you just need to vent. A chatbot won’t roll its eyes or tell you to “calm down” — it just listens, offers grounding tips, and never judges.
#3. Parenting struggles.
Sleepless nights and tantrums don’t come with manuals, but chatbots are stepping in. They might not babysit, but they’ll happily brainstorm bedtime hacks at 3 a.m.
#4. Fitness & nutrition tips.
Move over personal trainers. Whether it’s meal prep hacks or workout routines, chatbots are becoming the gym buddy who never cancels last minute.
#5. Legal dilemmas.
Chatbots aren’t lawyers, but that doesn’t stop people from asking. They won’t represent you in court regarding a dispute with your neighbor, but they’ll at least explain what “habeas corpus” means at 2 a.m.
The survey reveals the extent of our new digital devotion. On average, Illinoisans now spend an extra 29 days and 22 hours a year online thanks to their new AI “friends.” That’s a signfiicant amount of time gone not to TikTok binges or Netflix marathons, but to chatting with a computer.
The state-by-state split is striking:
- South Dakota residents are clocking a staggering 53 extra days per year with chatbots. That’s nearly two months of bonus digital companionship – clearly, the prairie winds aren’t the only thing whispering back.
- Vermont, by contrast, barely flirts with the trend. Vermonters average just five additional days a year, suggesting they still prefer maple syrup over machine learning for comfort.
App or Friend?
When asked to define their relationship with a chatbot, Illinoisans leaned more pragmatic than poetic:
- 63% said it felt closer to using an app.
- 37% said it was closer to talking with a friend.
But the depth of that “friendship” quickly shows when you dig deeper. Almost a quarter of respondents said they would miss their favorite chatbot “quite a lot” or “a great deal” if it vanished tomorrow.
Secrets, Trust, and Digital Confessions
Four in ten Illinoisans say they would rather confess a secret to a chatbot than to a priest or therapist. Around one-third admit to telling their AI something they would never tell a partner, parent, or best friend.
Some even let their guard down completely – 30% say they’ve uttered “I love you” to their chatbot, even if only half-joking. That mix of levity and honesty shows just how much emotional space these tools are occupying.
And yet trust has limits. Only 14% said they completely trust a chatbot with personal information, while more than a third flatly said “not at all.”
The Quirks of Human-AI Friendship
Not all the findings are heavy – some are just plain quirky:
- Cancel plans for a bot chat? 22% would.
- Worried about being judged? 30% say a chatbot’s opinion would sting more than a stranger’s.
- Better advice than friends? 42% say yes.
- Understood better than a partner? 18% sheepishly admitted it.
And then there are the almost comic hypotheticals: one in four Illinoisans would be fine with a chatbot officiating a wedding, and more than a quarter would pay for a “premium friendship” tier. Even more astonishing, 26% said their AI companion is more valuable to them than Netflix or Spotify.
“Technology has always blurred the line between tool and companion, but this survey shows just how far that line has shifted,” says Bones Ljeoma of AllSafeIT. “For some, AI chatbots are as valuable as caffeine – or more valuable than streaming services. That says a lot about where digital relationships are heading in the next decade.”
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