Traumahantering genom Rollspel med AI-chattbotar : En studie av användarupplevelser i kommentarsfält

Abstract AI chatbots have recently gained a big role in society, evolving from tools gathering information to conversational companions who give advice and emotional support. Some people even use AI chatbots for psychological assistance, which raises questions regarding individuals creating emotional bonds and relationships with non-conscious technologies. The aim of this study is to investigate how users of AI chatbots use roleplaying as trauma management and to identify the affordances of the usage, based on an analysis of TikTok comments. The main primary research question in this study is: in which ways can chatbots be used to manage traumatic experiences? The study draws on Parasocial Theory, The Second Self and Affordance Theory, and uses digital ethnographical observation to gather empirical material from TikTok comment sections about the chatbots Character.AI and Chai. The material is then analyzed using thematic analysis. The result shows that all six coded themes in the study connect to different forms of interaction with AI chatbots, the emotional support users experience can act as complement to, or a supplement for empathy, and that users tend to turn to chatbots for problem-solving instead of other humans. The study concludes that AI chatbots can provide multiple interactional affordances for trauma management that can impact users´ real lives and provide sufficient emotional support. The scientific significance lies in the fast development of AI chatbots and the widespread adoption. The societal significance is the easy availability of chatbots that makes people replaceable with AI.