"AI doesn’t have a soul." Exploring Gen Z’s Perceptions of Social Chatbots

Recent breakthroughs in AI have allowed social chatbots (SCs) to mimic engaging, compassionate conversations that dissolve the traditional barriers between humans and machines while also offering critical social and emotional assistance. As digital natives, Generation Z (Gen Z) students thrive on personalized, emotionally resonant digital interactions, positioning them as a pivotal audience for these cutting-edge AI-driven SCs. This qualitative study examines Gen Z students’ experiences with SCs using a survey featuring open-ended questions. 156 students shared their insights into the SCs they have used, evaluating the benefits these tools offer and identifying areas where improvements are needed. The results reveal that students highly value SCs who exhibit genuine empathy, personalized responses, and robust conversational abilities. These findings provide actionable recommendations for enhancing SCs to better meet the social and emotional needs of their users.