Speaker
DANIEL LLORET
MIGUEL HERNÁNDEZ UNIVERSITY (UMH). SPAIN
Daniel Lloret Irles holds a PhD in Psychology and is a professor in the Department of Health Psychology at Miguel Hernández University (UMH), where he directs the Chair of the Digital Divide. Since 2017, he has also been a professor at the Università del Piemonte Orientale in Italy.
His research focuses on addictive behaviors, with particular emphasis on gambling and the impact of digitalization on health. He has coordinated numerous national and international research and knowledge transfer projects and is the author of more than seventy scientific publications on addictive behaviors.
My Digital Friend
We live in an age of hyperconnectivity. While young people maintain a frenetic level of social activity, feelings of loneliness continue to grow, along with the need for emotional companionship. The technology industry has successfully identified this need as a promising market niche, fueled by the pervasive influence of social success on digital platforms.
To better understand patterns of use of AI-based emotional companionship tools and the psychosocial profiles of young users, the UMH Chair of the Digital Divide conducted the Philotes project, a population-based mixed-methods study combining qualitative and quantitative research. The study involved 1,200 adolescents from the Valencian Community.
The aim of this panel is to present the findings of the Philotes project and to open a discussion on the opportunities and risks associated with companion chatbots and AI-based emotional support systems.






