'Alleviate loneliness' | 99% of workers would welcome an AI 'friend' at work, KPMG finds

Almost every professional worker recently surveyed by KPMG expressed interest in having an AI chatbot as a “friend” or trusted companion at work.

Of more than 1,000 respondents, 99% welcomed the idea, while 98% said they would like AI systems that could suggest co-workers with similar interests.

The findings highlight how normalized AI has become in the workplace, while KPMG’s US Vice Chair of Talent and Culture, Sandy Torchia, described the findings as part of “the great AI paradox.” She said the technology can “serve as a tool to help alleviate loneliness,” but it can also intensify “our hunger for authentic relationships.”

Nearly nine in ten (86%) respondents reported that exposure to generative AI made them feel a stronger need to build human connections. Among remote workers, that figure rose to 94%. At the same time, 49% said technology often leads to superficial interactions that replace deeper conversations.