Stop making this 'off-putting' mistake when you talk to people: 'It backfires,' says psychologist

April 14, 2026 - 01:47

A leading social psychologist is warning that our growing reliance on AI chatbots and digital companions may be eroding our fundamental human connection skills. Tessa West, a professor at New York University, highlights a significant and often overlooked pitfall: these interactions can train us to become worse communicators in real life.

The core issue, according to West, is that AI provides a controlled, low-risk conversation without the complex, non-verbal cues inherent to human interaction. When accustomed to this simplified dialogue, people can develop what she describes as an "off-putting" and inefficient communication style that "backfires" in person. This includes failing to read a room, missing subtle facial expressions, or dominating a conversation without allowing for natural reciprocity.

"AI doesn't get annoyed, it doesn't interrupt, and it doesn't have bad days," West notes. "This conditions us for a social world that doesn't exist." The result is that individuals may unknowingly carry these one-sided patterns into their personal and professional relationships, leading to misunderstandings and perceived self-absorption. The convenience of artificial companionship, therefore, may come with a steep price: the gradual atrophy of the very empathy and adaptive dialogue that strengthen our social bonds. Experts urge users to be mindful of balancing digital interaction with ample, unstructured face-to-face conversation to preserve these irreplaceable human skills.