AI Chatbot Reduces Breakup Distress in Single Session

A recent study published on arXiv examines *overit*, an AI chatbot intended for one-time use that helps users cope with breakup-related distress through cognitive reappraisal techniques. The research involved 254 participants from the U.S. and the U.K. who had recently experienced a breakup. They either completed a survey and then interacted with the AI or were assigned to a control group that only took the survey. Researchers measured breakup distress at the beginning, after a week, and again after a month using the Breakup Distress Scale. Those who used *overit* showed a significant reduction in distress after seven days (B = -5.36, SE = 1.19, p < .001; d = -0.70), with some benefits still evident a month later. The chatbot is grounded in memory reconsolidation theory.