AI Companionship & Human Connection 2025 (Dataset, n = 501)

This dataset is part of the Human Clarity Institute’s AI–Human Experience 2025 data series. It examines how people experience emotional connection, companionship, and relational boundaries in interactions with AI tools, including perceived emotional support, values alignment, and concerns around emotional dependence.

The dataset includes:
• validated 1–7 Likert-scale items
• measures of AI companionship, emotional support, trust, and perceived meaning
• behavioural indicators related to AI reliance, decision confidence, and boundary-setting
• multi-select variables stored as canonical semicolon-delimited snake_case tokens
• open-text reflections with minimal safe cleaning (trim + newline removal only)
• demographic variables across six English-speaking countries
• digital life exposure (daily hours online) and AI-tool usage frequency

Data were collected on 19 December 2025 via Prolific from adults in the UK, US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland.
All data were cleaned, anonymised, and processed under the Human Clarity Institute’s machine-readable dataset protocol, which includes:

• canonical snake_case variable naming
• validated numeric ranges
• standardised multi-select formats
• minimal safe text cleaning
• full alignment with the accompanying data dictionary
• removal of Prolific IDs and timestamps
• SHA-256 checksums for all files

This dataset contributes to understanding how humans form emotional and cognitive relationships with AI tools, supporting longitudinal tracking of companionship dynamics, trust, and values alignment as the role of AI in everyday life continues to evolve.