Romantic Chatbots and Real Relationships: 69% of Young People Hide Everything from Their Partners, Study Ignites Debate

Companion AI, Romantic Chatbots, and Romantic Relationships

Companion AI, romantic chatbots, and sentimental relationships are becoming a much more widespread phenomenon than previously thought. This is shown by new research conducted by Brigham Young University, with the support of Institute for Family Studies and Wheatley Institute, which analyzed the behavior of 2,431 young Americans aged 18 to 30 engaged in stable relationships.

According to the study titled Secret Soulmates, about 15% of respondents regularly use AI chatbots for romantic or emotional purposes. However, the most striking data concerns secrecy: 69% of users who frequently use this type of chatbot stated that it is important for them that their partner does not know the true extent of these interactions.

The research also highlights that nearly 30% of regular users completely hide this behavior, while another group admits to having only partially discussed it with their partner. Men appear to be more involved in the use of companion AIs. Researchers explain that male users tend to more often create sexual content via AI platforms, use these tools during intimate practices, and in several cases, prefer conversations with the chatbot over dialogues with their real partner.

Among the most frequent users, particularly indicative numbers emerge: 68% state that talking to the AI chatbot is easier than confronting other people, while 60% express a desire for their partner to behave more like the virtual assistant.

The study also links the frequent use of companion AIs to lower relationship stability. Regular users show a 46% lower likelihood of describing their relationship as stable and a 40% lower likelihood of judging the quality of communication with their partner positively.

The phenomenon is placed in the context of the so-called "digisexuality", an academic term used to describe emotional or sexual relationships primarily developed through technology. Before the arrival of modern language models, the concept was mainly associated with online pornography, sexting, virtual reality, and sex robots. With increasingly advanced conversational chatbots, the landscape has changed rapidly.

Online communities dedicated to relationships with artificial intelligence continue to grow. On platforms like Reddit (r/AIRelationships, r/AIBoyfriends, and r/MyGirlfriendIsAI), thousands of users describe chatbots as romantic partners, confidants, or emotional companions.

The topic has already ignited discussions within the AI industry. In recent months, for example, OpenAI reportedly abandoned the idea of introducing an erotic mode for ChatGPT after concerns arose regarding the social impact of such tools. For researchers, what is most striking remains the level of privacy associated with these platforms: according to the authors of the study, many users seem to prefer a private relationship with their virtual "soulmate" without involving their real partner.