United Kingdom, Dec. 27 -- Doctors and mental health experts have raised serious concerns about a growing number of young people turning to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for emotional support.

Researchers from University College London say some youngsters are forming emotional bonds with artificial companions instead of people, putting them at risk of struggling to build lasting human connections.

Their warning comes amid evidence that chatbots are increasingly being used not just for information, but for comfort, reassurance and even therapy.

Figures suggest around 810 million users interact with ChatGPT every week, with companionship and emotional support ranking among the most common reasons for use.

The findings land again...