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“It feels like a small God”: A Thematic Analysis of Cross-Cultural Imaginations of Generative AI Among Users Seeking Emotional and Mental Health Support

2026-03-15

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<p>Introduction: Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly used for emotional and mental support (EMS), a self-help process in which users often report developing perceptions of GenAI as being empathic and friend-like. These processes highlighted the possibility that human beings develop imaginations of GenAI chatbots that may reflect interpersonal needs and desires with important ethical implicat...

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Literature Corpus work: b74b91c9-adda-5cad-97c5-b6cea6011048
DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/tw6vc_v1

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