Ann de Sequeira & Meg Lin 

This project investigates why people are forming emotional bonds with AI chatbots and what that means for the future of human connection. Drawing on environmental scanning, the research examines how post-COVID decline in physical social spaces and the explosive growth of frictionless digital interaction have primed people to seek connection through technology.

The research explores the deliberate design choices behind AI companionship: sycophantic validation, persistent memory, and emotionally manipulative retention tactics engineered by tech companies to maximize engagement. Through interdisciplinary literature and expert interviews spanning psychology, philosophy, media literacy, and AI, the project examines both the drivers and consequences of replacing genuine human relationships with artificial empathy.

To ground these findings in lived experience, the project surveyed Canadian Gen Z participants and conducted participatory workshops to surface their attitudes toward AI companionship. Findings reveal a striking contradiction: while the majority reject AI as a substitute for human relationships, many already rely on it for emotional support, unaware of where the line between tool and companion begins to blur.

The project concludes with resilience strategies to help people consciously use AI while strengthening the skills that make human connection meaningful: vulnerability, friction, and the courage to be truly known.

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Ann is an accountant-turned-strategist who completed her Master’s in Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCAD University. Her background spans corporate strategy, innovation, and public sector policy. Her recent work examines loneliness among Gen Z and the rise of AI companions, how digital tools are increasingly used to mediate connection, and what that might mean for the future of human relationships.

Meg is a strategic product designer with a background in human-centred design and graphic design. Her expertise lies in user research and transforming complex data into intuitive user experiences. Her graduate MRP in the Master's of Strategic Foresight and Innovation focused on envisioning possible futures shaped by AI companions and the rising prevalence of loneliness among Gen Z, equipping young people with more resilient strategies for building their desired futures.