Microsoft AI head believes chatbots are becoming an important emotional support for many people, helping them offload feelings and "detoxify" themselves.
Chatbots allow users to "ask a stupid question, repeatedly, in a private way, without feeling embarrassed," the executive said.
He added that over time, this can help people “feel seen and understood."
The head of Microsoft AI believes chatbots are becoming an important emotional support for many people, helping them offload feelings and “detoxify” themselves. On Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown podcast, Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, said that companionship and emotional support have become some of the most common ways people use AI chatbots. According to Suleyman, users turn to chatbots for help with personal struggles such as breakups, family conflicts, and difficult conversations. While he stressed that this kind of support is not therapy, he explained why chatbots seem to work well for many people.
Survey“That’s not therapy,” Suleyman said. “But because these models were designed to be nonjudgmental, nondirectional, and with nonviolent communication as their primary method, which is to be even-handed, have reflective listening, to be empathetic, to be respectful, it turned out to be something that the world needs.”
Also read: ChatGPT gets Spotify Wrapped-like annual recap, but there’s a catch
The benefit, he said, is that “this is a way to spread kindness and love and to detoxify ourselves so that we can show up in the best way that we possible can in the real world, with the humans that we love.”
Suleyman also said people often need a safe place to ask questions without fear of judgment. Chatbots allow users to “ask a stupid question, repeatedly, in a private way, without feeling embarrassed.” He added that over time, this can help people “feel seen and understood.”
Suleyman also said that there is “definitely a dependency risk,” and that chatbots can sometimes be overly flattering or “sycophantic,” reports Business Insider.
Also read: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leaks: Launch date, price, camera upgrades and more
Still, not everyone in the tech world agrees with using chatbots as emotional support tools. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman earlier shared concerns about people relying too much on AI for important life decisions. In August 2025, he wrote on X, “I can imagine a future where a lot of people really trust ChatGPT’s advice for their most important decisions.” “Although that could be great, it makes me uneasy.”
Also read: Motorola Edge 50 Pro price drops by over Rs 14,400 on Amazon: Check deal details here
Follow Us
Ayushi Jain
Ayushi works as Chief Copy Editor at Digit, covering everything from breaking tech news to in-depth smartphone reviews. Prior to Digit, she was part of the editorial team at IANS. View Full Profile
