Connected, but to Whom? - How AI Engagement Shapes Developmental Networks and Need Satisfaction

Every individual has a developmental network consisting of people (“developers”) who actively support their growth and whom they can turn to for psychosocial and career support (Higgins & Kram, 2001).Since generative AI has become an increasingly present alternative to human support, such support is no longer limited to human relationships and may also be obtained from non-human developers. The proposed study asks how our engagement with AI influences our well-being and human relationships. Bridging the developmental network and AI literatures, the proposed study examines whether AI dependency moderates the degree to which developmental networks satisfy basic psychological needs, and whether developmental AI use frequency is associated with network characteristics, indicating substitutional or complementary engagement relative to human developmental relationships.