AI Companionship and the Future of Human Connection

The “AI Futures: Companionship, Connection, and Careers” project investigates how artificial intelligence—particularly in the form of companion technologies—is reshaping emotional, social, and professional landscapes. From digital assistants that support mental health, to AI-driven career mentors, to virtual companions that mitigate loneliness among young and ageing populations—this project explores the human consequences of an increasingly intelligent and relational digital world.In a time when traditional support systems are eroding and career pathways are becoming more volatile, AI companionship offers both promise and peril. We aim to map out these dynamics through critical inquiry, creative methods, and a commitment to inclusive innovation.

I welcome PhD proposals in areas including (but not limited to):

• AI Companions and Youth Transitions into Work.

How might AI-based tools serve as mentors, guides, or companions for young people navigating precarious labour markets? What ethical boundaries must we consider?

• Designing Empathetic Systems

What design frameworks are needed to build relationally intelligent systems that support emotional wellbeing without reinforcing dependency or bias?

• AI, Loneliness, and Marginalised Communities

How can AI companionship help reduce social isolation among groups that are often excluded from mainstream digital innovations—such as disabled youth, elderly migrants, or NEET populations?

• Digital Trust and Social Capital in AI-Mediated Interactions

How do users come to trust (or reject) AI companions, and what social norms emerge from these relationships?

• Algorithmic Intimacy and the Future of Care Work

To what extent can AI replicate or enhance care roles traditionally filled by humans, and what are the implications for care economies and gendered labour?

Sample Research Questions

• In what ways can AI companionship promote meaningful learning and employability among youth?

• How do users emotionally interpret the “presence” of an AI companion over time, and how does this shape identity and agency?

• What new ethical dilemmas arise when AI systems are designed to simulate empathy, attention, or friendship?

• How can we safeguard mental health and autonomy while fostering beneficial human-AI relationships?

• What frameworks or policies could ensure equitable access to AI companionship technologies across socio-economic boundaries?

Methodological Innovation Encouraged

We welcome proposals that use creative, mixed, or longitudinal methods such as:

• Ethnographic studies of AI use in everyday life

• Co-design workshops with young people or marginalised communities

• Reflective diaries on emotional engagement with AI over time

• Experimental designs comparing human and AI social interactions

• Critical design/speculative futures research

What Student Will Gain

1. Interdisciplinary Learning Environment: You will be part of a vibrant research community spanning Information Systems, Digital Sociology, Psychology, and Human-Computer Interaction. You’ll benefit from research clusters focusing on AI ethics, social innovation, and digital wellbeing.
2. Opportunities for Policy and Industry Impact: The project is designed with a strong impact focus, enabling you to contribute to policy recommendations, prototype evaluations, or pilot interventions that support more inclusive and ethical AI deployments.

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. See more information here: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/Research-degrees/Research-degree-funding. The UK Government is also offering Doctoral Student Loans for eligible students, and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.