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View all search resultsGen-Zers turn to AI for mental health support despite validity, privacy risks
Six of 10 surveyed Generation-Zers in Indonesia said they have used artificial intelligence platforms to confide about personal issues and discuss sensitive topics such as mental health, a recent survey has found.
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This photograph shows a handheld smartphone displaying the icons of some of the main artificial intelligence based apps, including LLMs, chatbots and generative AI, in Saint-Mande, east of Paris, on July 15, 2026. (AFP/Martin Lelievre)
O
n a gloomy day, 26-year-old Primadita tends to run to popular artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT to vent whatever is bothering her mind.
She sees the platform as a “cheap therapist”, with a monthly subscription for ChatGPT costing about Rp 300,000 (US$16.71) for extended conversations with the AI, roughly half the price of a one-hour counselling session with a psychologist.
“For Rp 300,000, I can chat whenever I want, without worrying about the time limits,” Primadita said.
Primadita is not alone, as a recent survey found that Indonesian Gen-Zers have been relying on AI platforms for emotional support. However, experts warn that chatbots cannot replace genuine human connection, while also posing threats to the users’ personal data.
A survey conducted by digital literacy NGO Digital Resilience Indonesia Foundation (DiRi) found that 59.4 percent of Gen-Z respondents had confided personal issues to AI chatbots, discussing topics such as mental and physical health; family and relationships; education and future plans.
The survey was conducted between August and December 2025 and involved 402 people born between 1997 and 2012, most of whom were based in Java.
According to the 2020 population census by Statistic Indonesia (BPS), Gen-Z comprises 75.5 million individuals, around 28 percent of the country’s population of 270 million
