Despite the surge in AI relationship technologies in recent years, little attention has been paid to how such technologies may impact dating and family formation, as well as established marriages and family relationships.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has surged in recent years, with users of AI platforms now numbering in the billions around the globe. Despite this growth in use, little attention has been paid to how AI technologies may impact real human relationships. In particular, very little is known about how the emergence of AI relationship technologies may impact dating and marriage relationships, as well as the personal well-being of the users of these technologies.
In this report, we present the findings of a new study that focused on an area of AI technology that may have the largest potential impact on our dating culture, couple relationships, and family formation trends, and that is engagement with artificial systems that replicate romantic interactions or are designed to induce romantic or sexual interest. These technologies exist via many platforms, but most commonly they use chat-based applications to interact and communicate with users or present AI generated images intended to simulate real human beings.
These technologies are becoming more numerous, with dozens of apps and websites advertising these types of services across all major online app stores and search engines, along with hundreds of social media accounts that generate idealized, and often sexualized, AI images of men and women which are now easily accessible to millions of potential users, including children and teens.
AI romantic companion apps are growing and are being used much more than most people might believe – particularly among young adults.
Many people who are using AI relationship technologies report that they prefer AI communication over engaging with a real person in a genuine relationship.
AI relationship technology use is linked to a higher risk of depression and higher reports of loneliness.