AI chatbot relationships influences 2025’s Word of the Year

AI chatbots, Taylor Swift, and social media influencers all played a part in deciding Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year, 2025: “parasocial.”

Parasocial — revealed by the global dictionary on Tuesday as its word of the year — refers to the connection a person feels to an online personality ranging from celebrities to podcasters, and even artificial intelligence.

“Parasocial relationship is when we think we know someone, or we feel very close to someone who’s in fact, a person we’ve never met, like a celebrity, an influencer, or somebody in public life who’s famous for some reason,” Simone Schnall, professor of experimental social psychology at the University of Cambridge, told CNBC Make It.

“In reality, of course, it’s only a one-sided, so-called relationship,” she added.

The term originated in 1956 when University of Chicago sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl found that people who watched television were treating the actors on-screen like friends or family.

Schnall explained that the “phenomenon” is well-known in our culture, but it’s only now that people are using the term more commonly.

“It’s been there forever, but I think in our culture, we now see parasocials on steroids, simply because there are so many opportunities for it. There are so many people who, for whatever reason, we can be interested in and fascinated by, inspired by,” she said.

One example is singer and billionaire Taylor Swift who has an intense global fanbase due to her relatable songs. Many of her fan report having a deep, emotional connection with her and keep up with her personal life and romantic relationships.

Other examples include social media influencer and Youtuber Logan Paul who has around 27 million followers on Instagram and 23 million subscribers on YouTube.

In 2018, Paul posted a video showing a deceased person in Japan’s Aokigahara “suicide forest,” sparking global outrage. Many of his die‑hard fans defended him, showing fierce loyalty despite the seriousness of the content. Paul later apologized for the video.

Schnall warned there are “dangers” in following celebrities and social media influencers who might share incorrect medical advice, sell bad products, or promote unethical behaviour.

“They [influencers] could do some serious harm to their followers. The people who feel they’re in that parasocial relationship, they could really be harmed by that,” Schnall warned.

A 2025 report by Common Sense Media, which surveyed 1,060 U.S. teens, found that 72% of teenagers aged 13 to 17 had used an AI companion at least once. This was for a range of reasons from emotional or mental health support or as a friend or best friend.

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