Addressing loneliness by AI chatbot: a qualitative study of empty-nest elderly

BACKGROUND: Loneliness among empty-nest older adults is a growing public health concern with complex psychosocial consequences. AI chatbots are increasingly integrated into daily life, yet little is known about how empty-nest older adults incorporate these agents into their daily interactions to address loneliness. OBJECTIVES: This study examines how empty-nest older adults engage with AI chatbots in routine communication to mitigate loneliness, emphasizing patterns of engagement rather than assessing effectiveness. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted to collect data. A total of 18 participants were included in this study. Interview transcriptions were coded and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants engaged with the chatbot as a versatile communicative resource that provided a safe outlet for self-expression and narrative voice, fostered experiences of emotional care and empathy, and enabled cognitively and emotionally stimulating recreational interactions. It also supported imaginative role-playing that restored agency and social scripts, served as a source of informal counseling, and facilitated reconnection with both offline and online social networks. Together, these modes represented diverse, experience-based strategies through which the chatbot was woven into daily efforts to manage loneliness. CONCLUSIONS: The findings advance conceptualizations of gerontechnology as a communicative practice and suggest that policy, design, and service frameworks should treat AI companions as socially embedded tools requiring ethical, accessible, and context-sensitive integration. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.