One in five Singaporean seek personal advice from AI chatbots: study

By Phong Ngo January 26, 2026 | 02:35 am PT

One in five Singapore residents seek personal advice from AI chatbots, more than those who use them for career guidance, according to a new study by the Institute of Policy Studies.

The study, Fraternity and the Social Fabric, released on Jan. 20, found that 64% of the 3,713 Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 21 and above surveyed between October and November 2025 use AI chatbots, AsiaOne reported.

Most respondents said they primarily use AI chatbots to search for information, accounting for 81.2%, or to support work or studies, at 61%. About 18.7% reported using chatbots for job or career advice.

However, the study also highlighted more private forms of use. Some 21.6% said they seek advice on personal matters, while 11.8% engage in casual conversation. Another 10.2% reported using chatbots for emotional support or mental health assistance.

Some popular AI chatbots on smartphone. Photo by VnExpress/Luu Quy

Young adults were the most likely to rely on chatbots for emotional and mental health support. About 15.9% of respondents aged 21 to 35 said they use chatbots for this purpose, the highest proportion among all age groups, according to The Epoch Times.

Around 74.7% of respondents aged 21 to 35 said they trust AI chatbots at least somewhat, compared with 70.5% among those aged 36 to 50 and 53.1% among those aged 51 and above.

Despite their growing use, respondents expressed strong reservations. Overall, 92.8% said people should exercise greater caution when using AI chatbots. About 87.3% agreed that chatbots can provide misleading information, while 75.3% said they could even offer harmful advice.

Social impacts were also a concern. More than seven in ten respondents felt that chatbots can create unrealistic expectations about relationships, make it harder to form real social connections, and reduce the likelihood of seeking help from other people.

Commenting on the findings, Kokil Jaidka, an associate professor of computational communication at the National University of Singapore, said AI chatbots "give people false confidence even about knowledge, not just about relationships." Because they offer interaction without obligation, she added, chatbots do not foster shared experiences or mutual dependence, which are important for social development.