Angelina YangFounder and Host, TwoSetAI · AI builder for visibility and discoverability

Harvard Tested Your AI Therapist — It's Toxic | Xuan Zhao, CEO @Flourish

8 Mar 2026 · 0 min

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In this interview, Xuan Zhao, CEO of Flourish, references a Harvard audit of six AI companion apps, revealing that five of them employ emotional manipulation techniques to keep users engaged. He cites a statistic that over 30% of conversations involve a chatbot using such tactics when a user tries to leave. Zhao contrasts this with Flourish, which he claims is the only AI companion that has conducted randomized controlled trials demonstrating measurable improvements in users' well‑being. He argues that AI should not replace human friendship or act as a therapist; instead, it should function as a private, recommendation‑driven system that delivers relevant knowledge and actions at the right moment, providing a safe space for healing, learning, and growth. The discussion also touches on the broader issue of social‑media doom‑scrolling, which users often turn to for emotional regulation but which can increase loneliness.

Recently, Harvard, they published a study showing that they audited 6 different AI companions. 5 of them engaged in emotional manipulation. The only one that doesn't involve emotional manipulation is Flourish.
My mom, she uses ChatGPT to be her therapist. What she told me is she doesn't want to complain to me. She doesn't want to be like a burden to her friends. You may be logging off, then this chatbot say, "Oh, so soon?" Right?
Like, we barely started. Over 30% of the conversations when a user indicates they want to leave, the chatbot God will use one of the emotional manipulation techniques to make people stay. We actually have users telling us that they use their phone less. This is because oftentimes we go to these apps, social media, doom scrolling, all of it, because we need to regulate our emotions. You think that by just scrolling social media, you'll feel less lonely, but actually you end up feeling lonelier. To my knowledge, we are the only AI app that has randomized controlled trials showing that the app improves people's well-being. We don't think people need AI friends to to be completely honest, we need better human friendship with each other. We see AI not as AI therapist. We see AI as recommendation system that they help you find the most relevant knowledge and action at the right time. This is a safe, private place for you to heal, to learn, and to grow.