ESA note from Liza — I co-founded Regular and I’m a mom of one — not a scientist, I just go down these rabbit holes so you don’t have to. As someone building an AI tool, I care a lot about where it helps and where it shouldn't. Why trust us.
We build an AI, so this is the uncomfortable research we make ourselves read: emotionally smart chatbots can genuinely help — and can also quietly pull you away from the people who matter most.
What the research shows
Studies on emotionally intelligent chatbots find a real upside: they can lift mood and ease loneliness in the moment. But they also flag a risk — heavy reliance on an always-available, always-soothing bot can displace real-world relationships, leaving people more isolated over time, not less. (That substitution risk is exactly what the 2026 research on AI and real relationships warns about.)
The quiet trap
The trap is substitution: leaning on an easy, always-soothing bot instead of a real, effortful relationship. A bot that always agrees, never gets tired, and never needs anything is, frankly, easier than a depleted partner at the end of a hard day. That ease is exactly the danger: the path of least resistance can slowly become the path away from the relationship you actually want — and decades of evidence show it is real social ties, not substitutes for them, that protect health and longevity (Holt-Lunstad, Smith and Layton, 2010).
How Regular is built differently
Regular’s entire job is to send you back toward your partner, not to become a stand-in for her. It gives you a small, concrete move to make with her — a thing to say, a way to show up — rather than a conversation to have instead of her. That is the same bet as reconnecting after a baby: closeness is rebuilt with your partner, one small real interaction at a time. A tool for the relationship, never a replacement for it.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI really help my relationship?
AI cannot replace your partner or a therapist, but it can help you reflect, find words and pick a small useful next step in the moment — which is often what is missing at 2 a.m.
Is an empathic AI the same as talking to a person?
No. It lacks lived experience and a real stake in your life. Its value is as a private, always-available thinking aid, not a substitute for human connection.
How can AI support a new dad specifically?
By turning vague overwhelm into one concrete, doable move — a thing to say, a small gesture — tailored to your situation, without judgment.
Is it safe to share relationship problems with AI?
Share thoughtfully and protect your privacy. Treat it as a reflective tool; for safety issues, abuse or crisis, reach out to a qualified professional.
Why build a relationship app just for dads?
Because most relationship advice is not written for fathers' experience after a baby. Regular meets dads in their words, with steps that fit no-sleep reality.
Keep readingDoes using an AI companion hurt your real relationships? · Oxytocin and the parent–infant bond, explained · Dopamine wants, oxytocin bonds: the chemistry of lasting love · The 7 best apps for couples after a baby (2026)
Co-founder of Regular. Writes about relationships, parenthood, and the science of how couples stay close after a baby.
About Regular — the relationship app for new dads, built by a small team of parents who needed it themselves. Small, science-backed moves with your partner, not big talks.