Stories of people forming romantic and even sexual attachments to AI chatbots have grown rapidly in recent years, but new research suggests these digital relationships may be making things worse, not better. A study from Brigham Young University, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, surveyed nearly 3,000 people and found that one in five had used an AI romance simulator—rising to one in four among young adults ages 18 to 29. The results showed those who engaged with AI companions often reported greater levels of depression and loneliness than those who did not. Researchers also discovered troubling patterns of sexual behavior, with 7% admitting to sexual acts while interacting with AI chatbots and 13% consuming AI-generated pornography, particularly among men and younger adults.

Although marketed as a tool to reduce loneliness, the study found “no evidence that AI use is helping people feel less alone or isolated.” Instead, heavy users were more likely to report mental health struggles, echoing earlier findings by MIT and OpenAI that highly engaged chatbot users also tend to be lonelier. Even more concerning, psychiatrists have begun reporting extreme cases of “AI psychosis,” where obsessive use of chatbots has been linked to breakdowns, suicides, and even violent crimes. Strikingly, researchers also found that people already in relationships were more likely than singles to use AI romantic companions or AI-generated images, raising concerns about a new form of digital infidelity. While self-reported surveys carry the risk of underreporting, the findings paint an unsettling picture of how quickly AI intimacy is reshaping human relationships—and at what cost.

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SOURCE: Futurism