AI, Agency, and Mental Well-Being: Understanding the Psychological and Social Impacts of Human–AI Interaction

Artificial intelligence has become deeply embedded in daily life, offering assistance not only with tasks and information but also with emotional support, companionship, and self-reflection. Conversational and companion AI systems have created new possibilities for widening access to mental health resources, particularly for populations facing barriers linked to stigma, cost, or cultural mismatch. However, their growing emotional and relational presence raises critical questions for public mental health: how do interactions with AI affect users’ psychological autonomy, resilience, and well-being? Recent studies show both benefits,such as increased emotional expression, reinforcement of coping strategies, and accessible support,and risks, including dependency, parasocial attachment, over-trust, and diminished human connection. With the advent of agentic AI capable of memory, personalization, proactive recommendations, and semi-autonomous action, the line between assistance and influence is increasingly blurred. This evolution presents pressing challenges for understanding how AI systems shape self-perception, emotional regulation, and social relationships across diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts.This Research Topic aims to build an interdisciplinary, empirically grounded, and culturally inclusive understanding of how human–AI interactions influence mental well-being. It seeks to move beyond binary debates of whether AI is beneficial or harmful, instead identifying the mechanisms and circumstances under which conversational and agentic AI systems support or threaten psychological autonomy, self-efficacy, and emotional health. Key objectives include mapping the psychological and behavioral impacts of sustained engagement with AI companions; exploring variations in user experiences across demographics, cultures, and contexts; and examining how design choices and governance frameworks can enhance well-being while safeguarding agency. By integrating insights from psychology, public health, human–computer interaction, ethics, and cultural studies, this Research Topic invites evidence-based debate and interdisciplinary collaboration that will inform more responsible and equitable AI development.To advance understanding of AI’s impact on human mental well-being, we welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:-Effectiveness and user experiences of conversational AI, chatbots, and AI companions for emotional support, reflection, and mental health information;-Digital intimacy, parasocial attachment, perceived empathy, and boundaries between human and AI companionship;- Agentic AI systems capable of memory, personalization, monitoring, and semi-autonomous recommendation, and their implications for psychological autonomy and self-efficacy;- Cognitive offloading, decision delegation, trust dynamics, and the conditions under which AI dependence emerges;- Roles of AI in stress management, loneliness mitigation, emotional regulation, and everyday well-being;- Cultural, socioeconomic, and contextual factors shaping AI-mediated mental health support and its relationship to public mental health equity;- Technostress, burnout, identity, and well-being in educational and workplace settings influenced by AI integration;- Ethical, regulatory, and governance approaches that ensure informed consent, transparency, and human oversight in AI-based mental health technologies.We invite original research, reviews, theoretical papers, perspectives, and policy analyses from a diversity of disciplines and regions to build an inclusive framework for understanding how AI can both challenge and enhance mental well-being in the digital age. Topic editors: Mohammed Salah, Fadi Abdelfattah Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82904/ai-agency-and-mental-well-being-understanding-the-psychological-and-social-impacts-of-human-ai-interaction