One in three Vietnamese Gen Z turn to AI for emotional support

More than one-third of Vietnamese Gen Z, which generally refers to people born between 1997 and 2012, turn to AI for emotional support, conversation or a sense of companionship, according to the latest study by cybersecurity company Kaspersky. 

The findings reflect a broader trend across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, where Gen Z is the most active AI-using generation. 

Half of Gen Z respondents said they use AI daily or almost daily, while one in three said they interact and chat with AI as they would with a friend.

Vietnamese Gen Z most likely to share secrets with AI in the region

Vietnamese Gen Z are turning to AI not only for information and study, but also for personal conversations and emotional support, said Kaspersky.

Across the Asia-Pacific region, Gen Z primarily use AI to search for information, with 57 percent saying they use it for this purpose. 

Another 54 percent use AI to support their studies, while 50 percent use it to find ideas.

But AI is increasingly taking on a more personal role. 

Nearly one-third of Gen Z respondents in the region, or 32 percent, said they use AI as a friend, a higher rate than among other generations. 

The figure was 39 percent in Indonesia, 35 percent in Vietnam, 34 percent in Thailand, 33 percent in Malaysia and 32 percent in India.

Vietnamese Gen Z also stand out for using AI to discuss personal matters. 

Some 42 percent said they use AI to share personal issues they do not want to discuss with other people, the highest rate among the countries surveyed. 

India followed at 37 percent and Indonesia at 36 percent.

The findings point to a shift in the way young people interact with AI. 

Beyond using it for specific tasks, some are increasingly turning to the technology to chat, seek emotional support or feel a sense of companionship.

This trend may make AI feel like a private and accessible source of emotional support. But AI is not a human friend, and its responses can be inaccurate or inappropriate. 

Users may also be more willing to share sensitive information with AI than they would through conventional online services.

AI can offer support, but risks remain

Despite being highly active online and confident with technology, many Gen Z users may underestimate the risks associated with AI. 

According to the report, 51 percent of Gen Z in the Asia-Pacific region said they take precautions only sometimes, while just 45 percent said they regularly take protective measures when interacting with AI services.

The inconsistency was particularly evident in Malaysia, where 54 percent of respondents said they only occasionally take precautions, the second-highest rate among the APAC markets surveyed by Kaspersky, behind China at 60 percent. 

Indonesia recorded the lowest rate at 43 percent.

Protective measures can be as simple as checking AI-generated information against other reliable sources and avoiding the disclosure of confidential or sensitive data. 

Such precautions are becoming increasingly important as AI is used more widely for studying, communication and personal decision-making. 

Inaccurate information generated by AI could affect schoolwork, academic performance or everyday choices.

At the same time, users may inadvertently share personal documents, passwords, financial information, health information or private messages while chatting with AI. 

The more personal the conversation becomes, the more important it is to remember that information entered into an AI service should not automatically be assumed to remain private.