We propose that AI-driven wellness apps powered by large language models can foster extreme emotional attachments and dependencies akin to human relationships — posing risks such as ambiguous loss and dysfunctional dependence — that challenge current regulatory frameworks and necessitate safeguards and informed interventions within these platforms.
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Acknowledgements
I. Glenn Cohen was supported in part by a Novo Nordisk Foundation Grant for a scientifically independent International Collaborative Bioscience Innovation & Law Programme (Inter-CeBIL program, grant NNF23SA0087056).
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J.D.F. is a scientific advisor for Flourish Science. I.G.C. serves as chair of the Illumina bioethics advisory board, as a member of the bioethics council of Bayer and has compensated for speaking at an event organized by Philips, the Washington Post and the Doctors Company. He has also been retained as an expert witness in health data privacy, reproductive technology and gender-affirming care litigation.
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Nature Machine Intelligence thanks Daria Onitiu, Ge Wang and Silvia Milano for their contribution to the peer review of this work.
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De Freitas, J., Cohen, I.G. Unregulated emotional risks of AI wellness apps. Nat Mach Intell 7, 813–815 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-025-01051-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-025-01051-5
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