{"id":20803,"date":"2025-03-31T16:48:38","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T09:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/?p=20803"},"modified":"2025-03-31T16:48:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T09:48:38","slug":"soul-apps-study-exposes-the-ai-social-paradox-over-80-of-gen-z-build-real-world-ties-with-the-help-of-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/?p=20803","title":{"rendered":"Soul App’s Study Exposes the AI Social Paradox: Over 80% of Gen Z Build Real-World Ties with the Help of AI"},"content":{"rendered":"

SHANGHAI<\/span><\/span>, March 31, 2025<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire\/ — The year 2025 marked a watershed moment as\u00a0DeepSeek’s meteoric rise transformed artificial intelligence into a ubiquitous societal force. Under the “DeepSeek Integration” trend, AI-powered applications achieved unprecedented mainstream adoption, embedding advanced technology into daily life while generating tangible economic and social value.<\/p>\n

Amid this paradigm shift, pressing questions dominate public discourse: How prevalent is “AI anxiety” among ordinary people? How are younger generations redefining social connectivity through AI-driven networks to secure instant emotional support? And in what ways are individuals leveraging these tools to enhance productivity, launch side ventures, and unlock economic opportunities?<\/p>\n

Building on its 2024 Gen Z AIGC Attitudes Report<\/i> (3,457 respondents), Soul App’s Just So Soul Research Institute released the 2025 Gen Z AI Engagement Report<\/i>, synthesizing insights from 3,680 valid survey responses.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a>
<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The findings paint a nuanced portrait:<\/b>\u00a0approximately 40% of young respondents acknowledge experiencing AI-related anxiety, while over 90% now routinely employ AI for work or academic tasks. Significantly, one-fifth of participants report monetizing AI capabilities, and over 70% express openness to forming friendships with AI personas, with Gen Z averaging 1.8 virtual companions. Defying concerns about digital isolation, over 80% credit AI with facilitating real-world relationship building.<\/p>\n

Living with Algorithms: Gen Z and Post-05s Redefine Tech Engagement<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n

British sci-fi author Douglas Adams’<\/span> “Three Laws of Technology”\u2014which posits that innovations emerging during one’s formative years (15-35) are perceived as revolutionary\u2014finds vivid validation in Gen Z. The cohort’s AI literacy has surged exponentially, with 23.8% now claiming advanced understanding (including professionals, researchers, and power users), a sevenfold increase from 3.53% in 2024.<\/p>\n

Young users prioritize four core applications: productivity enhancement (55.6%), creative ideation (39%), entertainment, such as emotional companionship, via virtual interactions (38.9%), and social facilitation through AI-generated response recommendations (32.8%).<\/p>\n

Nearly all respondents (95%) integrate AI into work or study routines, with 55.4% classified as frequent users. A clear age gradient emerges, showing younger cohorts adopting AI more intensively.<\/p>\n

Efficiency gains have been proved substantial: nearly 80% report over 50% productivity improvements, including 30.8% claiming near-total efficiency doubling, while a mere 3.6% perceive negligible benefits.<\/p>\n

\u00a0AI Social Paradox: Gen Z Builds Real-World Ties with the Help of AI<\/b><\/p>\n

The once-futuristic premise of human-AI emotional bonds\u2014poignantly depicted in the 2013 film Her<\/i>\u2014now permeates reality. The survey reveals that nearly 40% of young people use AI products daily for emotional companionship.<\/p>\n

Specifically, 22.1% use them multiple times a day, while 20.8% use them once a day. Only 5.5% show no interest in such products. Contrary to the stereotype that women rely more on AI for emotional support, the data shows that men are more frequent users, with 45.6% of men compared to 37.2% of women.<\/p>\n

This trend is driven by two factors. First, the decline of traditional social connections due to social atomization has led young people to turn to AI as a low-threshold solution for building social networks. Second, advancements in AI’s reasoning, perception, and interaction capabilities have enabled more natural and human-like emotional interactions, providing real emotional feedback and support.<\/p>\n

The survey found that 71.1% of young people are willing to befriend AI, compared to 32.8% in the 2024 Gen Z AIGC Attitudes Report<\/i>. Over 60% of respondents have interacted with virtual companions, with an average of 1.8 AI friends per person. Among them, 26% believe AI fully meets their emotional needs, 45.7% feel it meets their needs to some extent, and only 5.9% think it does not meet their needs at all.<\/p>\n

Notably, as public acceptance of human-machine interaction has increased, discussions about AI-induced virtual relationship addiction have become more frequent.<\/p>\n

However, young people view AI social interactions as a powerful tool for enhancing real-life relationships. Over 80% of respondents have established real relationships with the help of AI, primarily through AI-generated responses that facilitate conversations (43.6%), AI-provided topic suggestions and emotional support (39.9%), and AI matching people with mutual interests (37.7%).<\/p>\n

Anxiety and Adaptation: Nearly 40% Experience “AI Anxiety,” with 20% Earning from AI<\/b><\/p>\n

The survey indicates that nearly 40% of young people experience anxiety related to AI. Specifically, 13.5% report frequent anxiety, while 23.2% experience occasional anxiety. In contrast, 36.8% are not very anxious, and 26.5% are not anxious at all. College students show the highest levels of AI anxiety, likely due to concerns about job market uncertainties.<\/p>\n

The main sources of anxiety include the proliferation of false information (37.1%), threats to privacy and data security (37%), the rapid pace of AI development (33%), and job displacement fears (28.6%).<\/p>\n

Those less anxious view AI as a useful tool for improving efficiency (46.8%), recognize its limitations in creativity and emotion (36.7%), see it as a source of new opportunities (32.9%), and are actively learning AI to stay competitive (29.6%).<\/p>\n

The survey also shows that 59.2% believe AI will create new professions, and 22.4% think AI is helpful for launching side ventures. Notably, 19.9% have already earned money through AI, up from 14.18% in 2024.<\/p>\n

Young people are actively learning AI to mitigate anxiety and seize new opportunities. As more benefit from AI, both financially and emotionally, its sustainable development is ensured.<\/p>\n

<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

SHANGHAI<\/span><\/span>, March 31, 2025<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire\/ — The year 2025 marked a watershed moment as\u00a0DeepSeek’s meteoric rise transformed artificial intelligence into a ubiquitous societal force. Under the “DeepSeek Integration” trend, AI-powered applications achieved unprecedented mainstream adoption, embedding advanced technology into daily life while generating tangible economic and social value.<\/p>\n

Amid this paradigm shift, pressing questions dominate public discourse: How prevalent is “AI anxiety” among ordinary people? How are younger generations redefining social connectivity through AI-driven networks to secure instant emotional support? And in what ways are individuals leveraging these tools to enhance productivity, launch side ventures, and unlock economic opportunities?<\/p>\n

Building on its 2024 Gen Z AIGC Attitudes Report<\/i> (3,457 respondents), Soul App’s Just So Soul Research Institute released the 2025 Gen Z AI Engagement Report<\/i>, synthesizing insights from 3,680 valid survey responses.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a>
<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The findings paint a nuanced portrait:<\/b>\u00a0approximately 40% of young respondents acknowledge experiencing AI-related anxiety, while over 90% now routinely employ AI for work or academic tasks. Significantly, one-fifth of participants report monetizing AI capabilities, and over 70% express openness to forming friendships with AI personas, with Gen Z averaging 1.8 virtual companions. Defying concerns about digital isolation, over 80% credit AI with facilitating real-world relationship building.<\/p>\n

Living with Algorithms: Gen Z and Post-05s Redefine Tech Engagement<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n

British sci-fi author Douglas Adams’<\/span> “Three Laws of Technology”\u2014which posits that innovations emerging during one’s formative years (15-35) are perceived as revolutionary\u2014finds vivid validation in Gen Z. The cohort’s AI literacy has surged exponentially, with 23.8% now claiming advanced understanding (including professionals, researchers, and power users), a sevenfold increase from 3.53% in 2024.<\/p>\n

Young users prioritize four core applications: productivity enhancement (55.6%), creative ideation (39%), entertainment, such as emotional companionship, via virtual interactions (38.9%), and social facilitation through AI-generated response recommendations (32.8%).<\/p>\n

Nearly all respondents (95%) integrate AI into work or study routines, with 55.4% classified as frequent users. A clear age gradient emerges, showing younger cohorts adopting AI more intensively.<\/p>\n

Efficiency gains have been proved substantial: nearly 80% report over 50% productivity improvements, including 30.8% claiming near-total efficiency doubling, while a mere 3.6% perceive negligible benefits.<\/p>\n

\u00a0AI Social Paradox: Gen Z Builds Real-World Ties with the Help of AI<\/b><\/p>\n

The once-futuristic premise of human-AI emotional bonds\u2014poignantly depicted in the 2013 film Her<\/i>\u2014now permeates reality. The survey reveals that nearly 40% of young people use AI products daily for emotional companionship.<\/p>\n

Specifically, 22.1% use them multiple times a day, while 20.8% use them once a day. Only 5.5% show no interest in such products. Contrary to the stereotype that women rely more on AI for emotional support, the data shows that men are more frequent users, with 45.6% of men compared to 37.2% of women.<\/p>\n

This trend is driven by two factors. First, the decline of traditional social connections due to social atomization has led young people to turn to AI as a low-threshold solution for building social networks. Second, advancements in AI’s reasoning, perception, and interaction capabilities have enabled more natural and human-like emotional interactions, providing real emotional feedback and support.<\/p>\n

The survey found that 71.1% of young people are willing to befriend AI, compared to 32.8% in the 2024 Gen Z AIGC Attitudes Report<\/i>. Over 60% of respondents have interacted with virtual companions, with an average of 1.8 AI friends per person. Among them, 26% believe AI fully meets their emotional needs, 45.7% feel it meets their needs to some extent, and only 5.9% think it does not meet their needs at all.<\/p>\n

Notably, as public acceptance of human-machine interaction has increased, discussions about AI-induced virtual relationship addiction have become more frequent.<\/p>\n

However, young people view AI social interactions as a powerful tool for enhancing real-life relationships. Over 80% of respondents have established real relationships with the help of AI, primarily through AI-generated responses that facilitate conversations (43.6%), AI-provided topic suggestions and emotional support (39.9%), and AI matching people with mutual interests (37.7%).<\/p>\n

Anxiety and Adaptation: Nearly 40% Experience “AI Anxiety,” with 20% Earning from AI<\/b><\/p>\n

The survey indicates that nearly 40% of young people experience anxiety related to AI. Specifically, 13.5% report frequent anxiety, while 23.2% experience occasional anxiety. In contrast, 36.8% are not very anxious, and 26.5% are not anxious at all. College students show the highest levels of AI anxiety, likely due to concerns about job market uncertainties.<\/p>\n

The main sources of anxiety include the proliferation of false information (37.1%), threats to privacy and data security (37%), the rapid pace of AI development (33%), and job displacement fears (28.6%).<\/p>\n

Those less anxious view AI as a useful tool for improving efficiency (46.8%), recognize its limitations in creativity and emotion (36.7%), see it as a source of new opportunities (32.9%), and are actively learning AI to stay competitive (29.6%).<\/p>\n

The survey also shows that 59.2% believe AI will create new professions, and 22.4% think AI is helpful for launching side ventures. Notably, 19.9% have already earned money through AI, up from 14.18% in 2024.<\/p>\n

Young people are actively learning AI to mitigate anxiety and seize new opportunities. As more benefit from AI, both financially and emotionally, its sustainable development is ensured.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cision-pr-newswire","category-cision-pr-newswire-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20803"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20803\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}