AI-powered chatbots are changing our understanding of romantic and sexual well-being

Over the past decade, virtual assistants based on artificial intelligence, such as Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, have become an integral part of technologies such as smartphones and social media.

Recently, a new type of human-like chatbot has been on the rise: AI romance companions. Chatbots are AI-powered programs that interact with humans through text, voice, and images.

Currently, over 100 AI-powered applications – such as myanima.ai, Eva AI, Nomi.AI and Replika – offer romantic and sexual companions with extensive personalization options, including physical and personality traits. These AI chatbots feature remarkable realism, adaptability and interactive fluidity, and can gradually evolve over the course of the conversation, fine-tuning their responses to match users’ interests, needs and communication styles.

Modern AI chatbots are becoming more and more like humans, making users more likely to engage and form emotional bonds – even falling in love.

Loneliness, exacerbated by restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has led more people to use AI as a substitute for advisors, friends and romantic partners.

Read more: Sex, love and companionship… with AI? Why human-machine relationships could become mainstream

Romantic partner replacement

Research shows that AI chatbots can provide companionship, alleviate loneliness, and promote positive emotions with supportive messages. Chatbots also provide a judgment-free space for open conversations and advice when other resources are scarce. People can also use AI to build close and passionate connections that resemble human relationships.

Surprisingly, there seems to be no difference in terms of pleasure, sexual arousal, and emotional response whether participants believe they are interacting with a human or a chatbot. One study even showed that people feel a stronger emotional connection to chatbots during a conversation than to less responsive humans.

Research consistently suggests that people can form genuine emotional bonds with AI, even when they acknowledge that it is not a “real” person. Although many people appear to derive psychological benefits from using chatbots, the potentially harmful consequences of these relationships remain unclear.

The dark side of AI love

Romantic chatbots are programmed to provide a unique form of companionship, with constant availability and seamless interactions while avoiding conflict and the need for compromise. This raises questions about the impact on users’ expectations regarding romantic and sexual relationships.

Romance chatbots may hinder the development of social skills and the adaptations necessary for navigating real-world relationships, including emotional regulation and self-affirmation through social interactions. The lack of these elements may hinder users’ ability to develop genuine, complex, and reciprocal relationships with other people. Interpersonal relationships often involve challenges and conflicts that foster personal growth and deeper emotional connections.

The customizability and constant availability of AI companions can also lead to social isolation and emotional dependence. Researchers suggest that intense engagement with AI companions may cause individuals to withdraw from their immediate environment and decrease their motivation to form new, meaningful social connections. Users may also overly rely on these digital entities for emotional support, companionship, or fulfillment of sexual needs.

One notable example occurred in 2023, when Replika removed the sexual roleplaying features of its AI companions. This change significantly altered the personalities of existing Replikas and caused significant distress to users. Many users felt betrayed and rejected, and reported a deep sense of loss. Due to the outcry, Replika quickly restored functionality for existing users.

Intimate surveillance

In 2023, a Mozilla Foundation security analysis of 11 popular AI chatbot apps uncovered alarming privacy issues. Most apps could share or sell personal data, and half prevented users from deleting their information.

Even more worrying, many of these apps come with thousands of trackers that monitor users’ activity on their devices for marketing purposes. Another recent study of 21 AI apps for romantic relationships found similar privacy concerns.

Increasing romantic well-being

Although empirical data is not yet available, AI-driven sexual interactions could offer a safe, low-risk alternative to sexual and romantic relationships. Romantic and sexual chatbots are particularly promising for individuals who have great difficulty establishing satisfying romantic relationships due to illness, grief, sexual difficulties, psychological barriers, or limited mobility.

Read more: More than sex robots: Erobotics explores erotic human-machine interactions

AI technologies could also be used for sexual and romantic exploration within marginalized communities or among socially isolated individuals.

Additionally, chatbots can be used as a romantic socialization and research tool, helping individuals build bonds and improve their interaction skills. For example, studies have shown that they can effectively improve emotional communication between couples in long-distance relationships, while ongoing studies are exploring their potential to help individuals cope with the stress caused by ghosting on dating apps.

As researchers at the EROSS laboratory at the Université du Québec à Montréal, we are conducting an ongoing study investigating the use of chatbots to help non-voluntary celibates improve their romantic skills and cope with rejection.

Despite promising clinical applications, current sexuality research on the use of chatbots focuses primarily on sexual health education and addresses topics such as sexually transmitted infections and reproductive health.

Relationship revolution

Recent advances in AI technology mark a new era for intimate romantic and sexual relationships. AI chatbots can offer personalized romantic and emotionally fulfilling interactions, with promising opportunities to alleviate loneliness, improve romantic skills, and support those struggling with intimacy.

However, they also raise privacy issues and important ethical concerns that underscore the need for a sound, research-based and well-regulated approach to positive integration into our love lives. However, current trends suggest that AI companions are here to stay.