AI is becoming part therapist, part advisor, part colleague, HBR analysis shows

Research published by Harvard Business Review suggests AI is evolving from a productivity tool into something far more personal.

For the past three years, AI has largely been framed as a workplace tool. It drafts emails, summarizes reports, writes code, and automates routine tasks.

But according to the latest AI in the Wild study, published in the Harvard Business Review, people are increasingly using AI for something else: support. The research analyzed more than 12,000 real-world AI use cases between March 2025 and February 2026 and found that therapy and companionship remained the most common use case for a second consecutive year. Relationship advice, workplace guidance, and decision support also ranked among the most popular applications.

The biggest shift from last year is not what sits at number one. It is what has risen around it. In 2025, users frequently turned to AI for enhanced learning, finding purpose, generating ideas, and organizing their lives. Those categories have largely given way to more interpersonal uses. People increasingly rely on AI to navigate relationships, workplace interactions, and difficult decisions.

The trend is visible across the dataset. Personal and professional support now accounts for 34% of observed AI use cases, up from 17% in 2024.

The new sounding board

For many professionals, AI has become a place to test ideas before sharing them with others.

One user described using it to pressure test arguments rather than generate them: "I use AI all the time to evaluate an argument I've written and have the AI try to poke holes in it. I then assess if I'm missing something and go back to refine it myself. AI is a mirror, not a genie."

Used this way, AI functions less as an assistant and more as a sparring partner. It helps users challenge assumptions, refine arguments, and think through decisions before taking action.