Digital companions or relational substitutes? understanding the use of generative AI as story friends among emerging adults

The development of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is not only used as an information tool, but also as a storytelling companion to express emotions and experiences. This phenomenon is common among young adults. This study aims to explore the factors behind the use of GenAI as a storytelling companion among young adults. This study uses a qualitative approach with an open-ended questionnaire as data collection. The data is analyzed using data-based thematic analysis. Based on the analysis results, two major themes were found, namely Driving Factors and Barriers to continuing interaction. Each factor has four themes, namely cognitive, affective, instrumental, and social. The cognitive aspect is a theme related to how users assess, process, and understand the quality of responses from GenAI. The affective aspect relates to the emotional experiences, emotional responses, and subjective feelings felt by users after interacting with GenAI. The instrumental aspect relates to the practical functions and ease of use of GenAI, and the social aspect relates to the dynamics of interpersonal relationships between users. Driving factors were dominated by affective aspects, while inhibiting factors were dominated by instrumental factors. It can be concluded that The use of GenAI as a story companion is a complex phenomenon involving various aspects, such as cognitive, affective, instrumental, and social. The use of GenAI as a story companion can be positioned as an interactive partner in meeting the emotional needs of young adults, but it is not sufficient to replace the role of humans.