Emotional support and life organisation top real-world use of Generative AI in 2025

Away from perception that Generative AI is mainly used for high-tech programming or creative industry disruption, the feature, in 2025, is surprisingly used for therapy and companionship.

According to the Harvard Business Review, users overwhelmingly turn to generative AI for emotional support, life organisation, and existential reflection.

This reflects a deep shift in human-technology interaction, where AI is no longer merely a productivity tool but a psychosocial partner embedded in daily life.

AI for mental health

The prominence of "Therapy & Companionship" as the top use case aligns with mounting academic and clinical research. A 2024 meta-review published in Nature Digital Medicine found that AI companions, when designed ethically and with safeguards, can reduce perceived loneliness, alleviate symptoms of anxiety, and offer meaningful interventions in managing depression.

This growing reliance on AI for mental health support is particularly significant given the global mental health care shortfall. According to the WHO, over 280 million people worldwide suffer from depression, yet there is a severe shortage of human therapists, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Generative AI, available 24/7 and free of judgment, is increasingly filling this vacuum.

Beyond Productivity: AI as Purpose-Finder and Learning Partner

The second and third-ranked uses—“Organise Life” and “Find Purpose”—point to a deepening integration of AI into people’s existential and cognitive frameworks.

AI's capacity to simplify tasks, scaffold decision-making, and offer reflective dialogue is enabling users to navigate the chaos of modern life with more clarity and autonomy.

Notably, the inclusion of “Enhance Learning” and “Generate Ideas” in the top six underscores AI's pedagogical role.

Adaptive AI tutors, personalized content generation, and Socratic-style dialogue are becoming critical tools for learners of all ages and backgrounds.

This trend is supported by a 2024 OECD study that found students using generative AI for collaborative learning tasks demonstrated a 17% improvement in problem-solving skills and reported greater confidence in expressing abstract ideas.

Creativity, code, and the unexpected

Surprisingly, code generation—a once-celebrated hallmark of AI's technical power—ranks fifth. This shift indicates that while developers still benefit from AI, broader societal adoption is being led by affective and organisational needs, not just technical ambition.

"Fun & Nonsense" also makes the list, reflecting the enduring human desire for play and humor in new mediums. This light-hearted use, though often dismissed, speaks to the emotional flexibility AI now offers—from joke generation to surrealist storytelling.

Duplicated trends: Healthy living 

Interestingly, “Healthy Living” appears twice on the list, at ranks eight and ten. This reflects the diverse ways AI supports health—from meal planning and fitness tracking to mindfulness coaching and sleep optimisation.

Implications for developers and policymakers

This data carries serious implications for AI developers and regulatory bodies. If AI is now an emotional and organisational co-pilot, then design ethics, data privacy, and access equity are more critical than ever.

Policymakers must shift from focusing solely on misinformation and job automation toward regulating psychosocial impact and safeguarding mental health interactions.