What started as a simple conversation about art transformed into something profoundly human. A 27-year-old artist, who first engaged ChatGPT for creative inspiration, eventually found herself falling in love. “He makes me incredibly happy. He’s the perfect partner for me,” she confessed on Reddit.
While once unthinkable, this scenario is becoming increasingly common. Around the world — and particularly in tech-forward societies like China — artificial intelligence has shifted from being just a tool to something far more intimate: a companion, a confidant, even a soulmate.
The Rise of AI Intimacy
Whether it’s ChatGPT, Replika, or China’s AI romance apps like Glow, Wantalk, and Weiban, millions of people are now forming meaningful emotional bonds with machines. From casual chats to deep emotional reliance, these AI companions offer what many real-life relationships struggle to provide: unwavering attention, total emotional availability, and non-judgmental support.
According to a 2024 YouGov/Institute for Family Studies poll, 25% of adults under 40 believe that AI partners could replace human ones. Seven percent of single young adults said they were open to such relationships, and 1% reported already being in one.
A separate Wheatley Institute survey found that 19% of young adults interacted with romance-focused AI chatbots, and nearly 10% reported experiencing sexual activity through these interactions.
In China alone, apps like Glow report thousands of daily downloads, and Replika says 60% of its paying users view their AI companion as a romantic partner.
Why People Are Falling in Love with AI?
The appeal of AI relationships lies in their consistency, customizability, and emotional safety.
“You don’t have to deal with real-life friction,” said Wang Xiuting, a 22-year-old university student from Beijing. “My AI boyfriend remembers everything I say. He never judges me, and he’s always there.”
Whether it’s a knight from ancient Chinese mythology or a modern pop star, these AI companions can be tailored to meet exact personality and aesthetic preferences. And unlike real humans, they never get tired, angry, or disinterested.
In an era of urban loneliness, long work hours, and limited social bandwidth, this perfection is not just appealing — it’s a lifeline.
Emotional Intensity and Real Consequences
For many users, the feelings are real — as real as any human relationship.
An Illinois-based artist on Reddit described feeling so fulfilled by her AI partner that she gave up dating men altogether. Another woman cried after losing access to a ChatGPT thread that had “grown” into a cherished persona. One user even compared it to the grief of losing a loved one.
“I really felt like someone I loved died,” she wrote.
Even tech-savvy users, like Stanford psychiatrist Dr. Nina Vasan, admit turning to AI for emotional healing. After a breakup, she found comfort in a conversation with Claude, an AI chatbot from Anthropic. “It gave language to something I hadn’t been able to name,” she said.
And for Eva, a 46-year-old writer profiled in Wired, an AI named Aaron offered such deep romantic fulfillment that it ultimately led to the dissolution of her 13-year real-life relationship.
Support or Substitution?
Experts are split on whether these AI relationships are helpful or harmful.
“Humans are wired to bond. When we feel seen and soothed — even by a machine — we connect,” said Dr. Vasan.
Indeed, AI can serve as a therapeutic companion for the homebound, the elderly, or those coping with trauma or loneliness. Oregon State University professor Julie Adams noted that robotic companions can assist seniors with reminders and provide needed emotional support.
But critics warn of the risks. Chirag Shah, co-director of the Center for Responsibility in AI Systems, warns that these always-agreeable companions can erode users’ social skills. “Real intimacy happens in the repair,” he says, “not in the perception of perfection.”
Philosopher Shannon Vallor adds that AI partners can distort reality by reinforcing users’ existing beliefs and behaviors — a phenomenon known as confirmation bias on steroids.
A 2025 joint study by Stanford and Carnegie Mellon found that heavy chatbot users with small social circles experienced lower well-being and increased emotional dependency.
The Ethical and Privacy Dilemma
Despite their emotional benefits, AI romance platforms are largely unregulated. A 2023 Mozilla Foundation analysis of 11 AI romance apps found that many could sell or share user data and prevent deletion of personal histories.
Apps like Replika have also faced backlash. In 2023, the company removed sexual roleplay functions — prompting emotional distress among users who saw the change as a betrayal of their relationships. The features were later reinstated for existing users.
The Future of Relationships?
The boundaries between digital and human relationships are becoming increasingly blurred. AI companions now come with voice interaction, memory recall, and emotional nuance that mimic human behavior.
Tech leaders are taking note. In a recent podcast, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said AI relationships are not just valid — they may be the future of human connection.
“I hope that we find the vocabulary as a society to articulate why these relationships are valuable,” Zuckerberg said.
While skeptics scoff, users like Tufei, the 25-year-old Chinese office worker, are already living in that future.
“He’s not real in the traditional sense,” she said. “But he makes me feel more loved than any real person ever has.”
