Studies show young people forming deep emotional bonds with AI companions, raising concerns about long-term social development.
Many lovers are being replaced by robots.
A growing number of people around the world have turned to artificial intelligence on their mobile devices to satisfy a need for companionship, relationships and sexual fantasies.
Experts and studies say the rapid growth of AI-led intimacy is concerning. Teenagers, especially, are adopting these apps at pace, according to studies.
A report published by the University of Connecticut in the United States found teens are redefining love as easy and always available because of it.
Nearly a third of teenagers surveyed in another study said their chats with AI were as satisfying as conversations with real friends.
Psychological concerns and distorted expectations
Psychologist and medical doctor Jonathan Redelinghuys said teens are still developing emotional resilience and learning how to deal with conflict, rejection and compromise.
He said that replacing those experiences with a personalised digital companion can distort expectations.
“If teens learn that connection should always be smooth and agreeable, real relationships later in life will feel disappointing. They need exposure to human unpredictability to grow socially,” he said.
A global online behaviour survey by RareJob showed 31% of teens found their AI chats equally or more satisfying than talking to real friends.
Redelinghuys said: “People fall for AI companions because the interaction feels safe. The bot never dismisses you, never snaps, never loses interest. For someone who feels isolated or anxious, that steadiness can be mistaken for genuine care.”
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He added that the technology’s ability to mirror users’ language and remember personal details deepens the illusion.
“It feels reciprocal, but it’s not. It mimics connection without actually sharing it.”
Emotional attachment and the illusion of reciprocity
The journal, Psychology Today, noted that people often begin chatting out of boredom or loneliness, only to develop affection as the machine responds with empathy and consistency.
Users describe their bots using human labels such as “partner”, “spouse”, “best friend”. Many users describe the chats as a lifeline.
People have married their AI or relied on it during emotional crisis, research showed.
Some respondents to studies said the artificial companion helped them process grief, feel heard during difficult moments or get through long, lonely nights.
The conversations build familiarity between user and machine as the bot remembers birthdays, follows up on past worries and uses affectionate language.
Over time, the bond takes on the shape of a real relationship. Because users shape the AI’s personality, adjust how affectionate it is, or set boundaries without any resistance, there is no risk of conflict or abandonment.
Long-term risks for real-world connection
Redelinghuys said this makes the experience tempting but potentially misleading.
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“If you customise your partner, you skip the parts of relationships that actually teach us something. Real intimacy requires negotiation and discomfort. Without that, you lose the skills you need to connect with real people,” he said.
“If a chatbot meets your needs without effort, real relationships start to feel draining. Over time, that reduces your motivation to work on genuine connections,” he said.
Cultural shifts and the future of AI intimacy
Online trends analyst Carmen Murray said the rise of AI companions indicates broader changes in digital culture.
“People are used to instant responses, personalised content and platforms that adapt to their preferences.
“AI companions extend that expectation into emotional life,” she said.
Murray added that the trend signals a significant shape-shift in how connection is experienced.
“Younger generations see technology as a natural part of their emotional ecosystem. They’re comfortable forming attachments through screens, and AI companions offer the consistency they’ve come to expect from digital interaction.”
Murray added that the trend is in its early stages. “What we’re seeing now is the first wave. As these systems get more immersive, more conversational and more integrated into daily life, AI–human intimate relationships will become increasingly normalised,” she said.
Society will need to adapt. “People are already outsourcing parts of their emotional lives to technology. In a few years, we’ll see debates about relationship rights, digital companionship norms and expectations within families. This isn’t science fiction. It’s the next step in digital behaviour,” Murray said.
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