New research provides evidence that artificial intelligence technology is embedded in people's romantic sexual lives. Survey results Journal of Social and Personal Relationshipsshowing that a considerable number of adults in the US, especially young men, report using AI tools such as chatbot peers, AI-generated sexual images, and social media accounts that simulate idealized romantic partners. The researchers also found that more frequent involvement with these technologies was associated with higher levels of depression and lower life satisfaction.
In recent years, AI platforms have spread across almost every sector of society. From image generation to text-based chat programs, AI tools are being used more for entertainment, productivity and even emotional support. While many studies focus on how AI influences labor markets, consumer behavior and public opinion, far fewer explore how these technologies reshape personal relationships.
The growing media interest in AI-driven romantic peers, such as chatbots that simulate intimate conversations and generate sexual content, encourages concerns about the loneliness, emotional dependence and ethical implications of these tools. There has been speculation that some people may use AI in ways that supplement or replace human intimacy, but empirical data remains limited.
“I have studied dating and relationship patterns among young adults and have been studying the use of porn as part of my research for 10 years. I was interested in the fact that young adults and adults today began to integrate generative AI technology into relational live, and wanted to see early how common such practices are.
The researchers analyzed data from a large allocation sampled national survey conducted in the United States. A total of 2,969 adults completed the online survey. It is designed to match the demographic collapse of the US population across gender, age and race. An additional oversample of young adults aged 18-29 years was included to better capture trends in this age group.
Participants were asked whether they intentionally sought on social media depicting idealized images of men or women, or if they followed AI-generated accounts. They were also asked if they used AI chat technology designed to simulate romantic partners, and if they saw AI-generated porn. Those who responded “yes” to any of these items were asked a series of follow-up questions to measure the frequency of their engagement, the degree to which they included sexual behavior, and whether they felt that AI interactions were an alternative to actual relationships.
The validated scale was also used to measure depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and attitudes towards artificial intelligence. The researchers then used regression analysis to investigate demographic characteristics towards AI, social media use, and anticipating engagement attitudes, and whether AI use was associated with mental well-being.
Results show that a significant portion of adults, particularly adults in their 20s, reported some form of involvement with romantic or sexual AI. More than half of the complete sample said they encountered social media accounts generated by AI. 13% said they intentionally wanted such content, and nearly 15% reported that they only posted images generated by the ideal male or female AI.
Chat technology appeared to be even more widely used. Nearly 19% of the entire sample were 1 in 4 young adults (ages 18-29) who interacted with and reported doing so with AI chatbots designed to simulate romantic partners. 7% said they masturbated during these chats, and about 13% reported seeing AI-generated porn.
“What surprised me the most was how common the use of AI companions was among young adults,” Willoughby told Psypost. “We thought we would find a small group of young adults experimenting with this technique, but instead we found that a considerable number of young people use these types of technology regularly.”
Age and gender were strong predictors of involvement. Men were significantly higher than women, reported using AI-generated pornography, and could display or interact with AI content for sexual satisfaction. Young adults were more likely to report involvement in AI technology, more than twice as likely as older adults, and were more likely to say that in some contexts they preferred these interactions over actual relationships.
Of those who chatted with their AI-based romantic partners, about one in five agreed to communicate with the AI system more than the actual person. Over 40% said that AI systems are easier to talk to or better listeners than human partners, while 31% felt that AI peers understood them better than people.
The average time per week for these activities was also quite large. Those who interacted with AI romantic chatbots chatted with them for an average of about 50 minutes a week. Those who saw images generated by male or female AI on social media spent about 30 minutes a week.
While many users reported using these platforms for non-sexual involvement, about a third of those who interacted with AI chatbots said the chat was sexually aroused. Approximately 16% of these users reported having sexual conversations with AI at least weekly.
Importantly, researchers found that interaction with these technologies is related to happiness. Those who reported chatting with AI romantic partners and using AI porn were slightly higher on the depression scale and slightly lower in life satisfaction, even after controlling for other factors such as social media use, age, gender, and religious attendance. Although the effects were small, they were statistically significant, suggesting that AI involvement could be one of many contributors to mental health.
This study found that committed relationships were more likely to report using AI-generated images and romantic chatbots than single people. This finding challenges the assumption that the romantic involvement of AI is driven primarily by solitude or lack of real-life relationships. Instead, it may reflect attempts to complement existing relationships or seek validation outside of them.
“The main point is that the use of AI for relational and sexual purposes is already very common,” Willoughby explained. “Experiments with AI peers, especially among younger adults, appear to have already had strong traction. Another major point is that we had already found a link between AI use and depression and loneliness. The direction of this association is unknown, but we have found no evidence that AI use helps people feel isolated or isolated on their own.”
This study provides one of the most detailed snapshots of AI involvement in romantic sexual contexts, but the findings are primarily descriptive and exploratory. The researchers used cross-sectional data. This means that we cannot determine whether AI use causes mental health difficulties or whether people with mental disorders are more likely to use AI tools.
Another limitation is that the survey relies on self-reported behavior and attitudes. Participants may underreport or misconceive their involvement, particularly given the increased realism of AI-generated content. Additionally, the study did not ask participants which specific programs or platforms they used, making it difficult to distinguish between the different types of AI experiences.
Nevertheless, this study provides the foundation for future research. Future work may explore whether a particular personality trait or relationship history predicts use, whether AI involvement is useful or impeded in emotional development, and how these tools influence expectations of intimacy in relationships.
“We have already completed a new national study as a follow-up to this study, and as a follow-up to this study, which asked more in-depth questions about the use of our AI peers,” Willoughby said.
The study, “Artificial Connections: The Engagement of Romantic Relations with American Artificial Intelligence,” was written by Brian J. Willoughby, Carson R. Dover, Rebekah M. Hakara and Jason S. Carroll.
