South Carolinians seek AI legal advice most often

When South Carolinians open a chatbot, they’re often not looking for life advice or relationship therapy, they’re asking for legal advice. From contract questions to fine-print confusion, residents are treating AI as a pocket-sized legal guide that never bills by the hour.

That is, according to a new survey commissioned by AllSafeIT, an IT support provider. They asked 4,012 respondents where chatbots make the biggest difference in their daily lives, and South Carolinians' top 5 uses were:

No. 1: Legal dilemmas.
Chatbots aren’t lawyers, but that doesn’t stop people from asking. They won’t represent you in court regarding a dispute with your neighbor, but they’ll at least explain what “habeas corpus” means at 2 a.m.
No. 2: Travel planning.
Why trawl through endless blogs when your chatbot can build you a dream itinerary in seconds? Think of it as a travel agent who never upsells you the insurance.
No. 3:  Home DIY questions.
Forget YouTube rabbit holes, people are asking bots how to fix that leaky tap or hang shelves straight. It’s like having a know-it-all neighbor, minus the judgment.
No. 4: Fashion/style advice.
When your mirror says “eh,” AI says “slay.” From outfit pairings to confidence boosts, chatbots are becoming the trend-savvy friend who never raids your closet.
No. 5: Fitness & nutrition tips.
Move over personal trainers. Whether it’s meal prep hacks or workout routines, chatbots are becoming the gym buddy who never cancels last minute.

“Technology has always blurred the line between tool and companion, but this survey shows just how far that line has shifted,” says Bones Ljeoma of AllSafeIT. “For some, AI chatbots are as valuable as caffeine or more valuable than streaming services. That says a lot about where digital relationships are heading in the next decade.”

The study reveals the extent of our new digital devotion. On average, South Carolinians now spend an extra 33 days and 3 hours a year online thanks to their new AI “friends.” That’s a significant amount of time gone not to TikTok binges or Netflix marathons, but to chatting with a computer.

The state-by-state split is striking:

- South Dakota residents are clocking a staggering 53 extra days per year with chatbots. That’s nearly two months of bonus digital companionship - clearly, the prairie winds aren’t the only thing whispering back.

- Vermont, by contrast, barely flirts with the trend. Vermonters average just five additional days a year, suggesting they still prefer maple syrup over machine learning for comfort.

App or Friend?
When asked to define their relationship with a chatbot, South Carolinians leaned more pragmatic than poetic:

- 63% said it felt closer to using an app.

- 37% said it was closer to talking with a friend.

But the depth of that “friendship” quickly shows when you dig deeper. Almost a quarter of respondents said they would miss their favorite chatbot “quite a lot” or “a great deal” if it vanished tomorrow.

Secrets, Trust, and Digital Confessions
Four in 10 South Carolinians say they would rather confess a secret to a chatbot than to a priest or therapist. Around one-third admit to telling their AI something they would never tell a partner, parent, or best friend.

Some even let their guard down completely – 30% say they’ve uttered “I love you” to their chatbot, even if only half-joking. That mix of levity and honesty shows just how much emotional space these tools are occupying.

And yet trust has limits. Only 14% said they completely trust a chatbot with personal information, while more than a third flatly said “not at all.”

The Quirks of Human-AI Friendship
Not all the findings are heavy, some are just plain quirky:

- Cancel plans for a bot chat? 22% would.

- Worried about being judged? 30% say a chatbot’s opinion would sting more than a stranger’s.

- Better advice than friends? 42% say yes.

- Understood better than a partner? 18% sheepishly admitted it.

And then there are the almost comic hypotheticals: one in four South Carolinians would be fine with a chatbot officiating a wedding, and more than a quarter would pay for a “premium friendship” tier. Even more astonishing, 26% said their AI companion is more valuable to them than Netflix or Spotify.

To learn more about AI use in other states, see the online infographic.

Provided by AllSafeIT