Can AI alleviate loneliness? The role of psychological closeness, co-presence and enjoyment in digital workout environment

Purpose This study examines whether and how AI fitness instructors can foster psychological closeness and the alleviation of loneliness compared to human instructors. Design/methodology/approach The study involves 592 participants in online fitness environments and employs a quasi-experimental design. Data are subsequently analyzed using variance-based structural equation modeling. Findings Human instructors have a more pronounced positive effect on psychological closeness, resulting in the alleviation of loneliness. However, AI instructors also demonstrate potential to foster emotional connections, particularly when there is a high level of co-presence and perceived enjoyment. Co-presence and perceived enjoyment reduce the psychological gap between human and AI instructors, amplifying the positive effects of psychological closeness on alleviating loneliness. Research limitations/implications This study relies on a quasi-experimental design and short-term exposure to AI fitness instructors, which may limit causal inference and the generalizability of the findings to long-term human–AI relationships. Practical implications The findings highlight practical implications for designing AI-driven platforms in fitness, healthcare and education to enhance emotional well-being and alleviate loneliness through personalized experiences. Originality/value This study advances the literature on human–AI interaction by empirically demonstrating how AI instructors can foster psychological closeness and alleviate loneliness in digital fitness contexts. By integrating psychological closeness, co-presence and perceived enjoyment within a unified framework, the research extends social presence and Computer as Social Actor perspectives to AI-mediated well-being outcomes. The findings offer novel insights into how AI systems can be designed to narrow the psychological gap between human and artificial agents.