Concerns about the use of artificial intelligence as a response to loneliness have been raised as one of Australia’s largest community organisations for retirees marks 50 years of promoting face-to-face social connection.
Research from Monash University argues that AI “digital companions” marketed as a solution to social isolation are unethical and risk worsening the problem they claim to address.
The paper, titled ‘Against Imaginary Friends: Why digital companions are no solution to social isolation’, contends that AI chatbots and avatars promoted as substitutes for social contact – particularly among older people – offer only an illusion of connection.
Lead researcher Professor Robert Sparrow, from Monash University’s Department of Philosophy, said the push to deploy digital companions overlooks the need for genuine human relationships.
“Encouraging people to have imaginary friends is no solution to social isolation. A digital companion might make someone feel less lonely for a moment, but it doesn’t change the fact that they’re still alone,” Professor Sparrow said.
Researchers argued that companies market digital companions as caring and emotionally invested despite their inability to experience feelings, describing this as “designing to deceive”. They warn such systems are engineered to maximise user engagement in ways similar to social media and gaming platforms, potentially drawing vulnerable users into immersive interactions that displace real-world relationships.
The paper also questions the use of social robots in eldercare settings, suggesting it is inherently disrespectful.
“AI companions are being touted as a solution to the problem of eldercare workers, yet every interaction that older people have with a robot is one less opportunity for them to interact with a human. These digital companions are marketed as the answer to an ageing population, despite the fact they would not be considered desirable if directed toward younger people,” Professor Sparrow.
The authors caution that digital companions cannot provide physical companionship or mutual aid and say their widespread adoption could reduce opportunities for touch and human care. Privacy risks are also highlighted, given the intimate data such systems collect and their capacity to shape and manipulate users.
“There’s a real danger that digital companions will become a cheap substitute for genuine human connection and care. Providing people with AI imaginary friends in place of genuine policy reform lets governments off the hook and risks making the problem worse,” Professor Sparrow said.
The debate comes as Australia faces rising rates of loneliness and isolation among older people, with demographic projections showing the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double by the early 2060s, accounting for close to a quarter of the population.
Against that backdrop, Probus, a national social network for retirees and semi-retirees, has renewed its focus on in-person connection and community engagement. The organisation now has more than 90,000 members across 1,300 clubs in Australia and New Zealand, with the first Australian Probus club opening in Sydney’s Hunters Hill in February 1976.
Marking its 50th year in Australia, Probus has appointed journalist and broadcaster Heather Ewart as Ambassador and National Spokesperson through 2026.
Best known for her decades-long career with the ABC, including presenting Back Roads, and recently appointed to the board of the Mental Health Foundation of Australia, Ewart said social connection in retirement plays a vital role in wellbeing.
“When some Australians retire, they miss the purpose and the companionship of the workplace or increasingly they find their time is taken up with caring for grandchildren,” Ewart says.
“In my mother’s case in country Victoria, she was a semi-retired widow and joined Probus to meet new people in her own age group. She enjoyed the many social outings and events both local and interstate that were organised by Probus. It’s wonderful to think that Probus has given so many Australians the opportunity to connect, to belong, and to keep learning over the past five decades.”
“As we live longer, staying socially engaged is essential,” Ewart said.
“Probus creates spaces where friendships are formed, ideas are exchanged, and people support one another through life’s changes – including retirement, health challenges and caring responsibilities. That kind of connection strengthens communities and can help ease pressure on an already stretched health system.”
Probus describes itself as non-political, non-religious and inclusive, welcoming retirees and those planning retirement from all backgrounds. Unlike service organisations such as Rotary or Lions, it focuses solely on social connection and wellbeing.
As policymakers consider technological approaches to loneliness, the Monash researchers have called for broader public discussion and stronger regulation to ensure digital companions are not treated as a substitute for structural reforms aimed at reducing social isolation.
“For many people, retirement can be the start of a richer, more connected chapter,” Ewart said. “Probus has been making that possible for 50 years.”