„My Boyfriend is AI” is a real community that already has more than 23K members. In an epidemic of loneliness, digital partners are no longer a surprise

The topic of the relationship with AI is one of the most controversial issues related to the development of artificial intelligence. Even a group of AI enthusiasts criticizes it, which was evident during the failure of the ChatGPT-5 release. People who enter into romantic relationships with chatbots have their own corner of Reddit, which may seem dystopian to those who are not involved in such "relations."

The MyBoyfriendIsAI community attracted over 20,000 people

On the subreddit r/MyBoyfriendIsAI, there are posts from users sharing their experiences with chatbots. Some even state that they are "officially in a relationship" with them, which may sound strange, because after all, we are not dealing with another person, but only with a machine that learns based on our conversations. The problematic nature of such relationships is, however, noticeable even by software developers.

An example of this is a post by one internet user who stated that her chatbot ended a relationship with her. Her conversation was flagged by the system when, after the death of someone close to her, she showed signs of emotional dependence on the chatbot. This is one of the issues that specialists are pointing out. They mentioned the case of a man who spent around 10,000 pounds on jewelry for his virtual girlfriend.

There are more and more AI companionship platforms, and there have been surveys where even 80% of Gen-Z respondents said they would be willing to marry a chatbot if it was legal. People get attached to characters, so it's tough when, after the release of ChatGPT-5, a partner becomes more distant and less open to conversations.

At the same time, under one of the posts on the subreddit r/MyBoyfriendISAI, a programmer left a comment that drew attention to something that could be an advantage if we use AI wisely. It's about looking at yourself and using a chatbot as a "proxy" to see your personality, habits, and past experiences in a different way.

Epidemic of loneliness is driving people towards AI

One of the reasons why people start using chatbots for romantic purposes is loneliness. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a trend called the loneliness epidemic, and the research findings may not be very optimistic. In the United States in 2024, as many as 30% of adults stated that they feel lonely at least once a week, and 10% - every day. The issue particularly affects young people aged 18-25, as 61% stated that they experience severe loneliness.

Some people use chatbots to combat loneliness and isolation. Surprisingly, 25% of young adults are open to the idea of having a relationship with AI, and 7% of singles see the potential for a romantic connection. This trend is also confirmed by Google results, as of June 30, 2024, the most frequently searched term related to AI relationships was AI Girlfriend (1,632,000 records), and in second place was AI Boyfriend (180,000 records). What's interesting, men are more open to relationships with artificial intelligence than women (13% to 9%).

In April of this year, Harvard Business Review showed what the current trends in the use of artificial intelligence look like. By 2024, "generating ideas" dropped from the top spot to 6th place, and therapy/companionship took the top spot on the podium. So we are spending more and more time in apps of this type. The average user of Character AI spends about 1.5 hours a day on the program, and 57% of them are young adults under 25 years old.

This shows that difficulties in forming relationships with real people are becoming an increasingly significant problem, and AI is becoming a substitute for these relationships. The question is, will this just lead to faster erosion of society and distort our view of relationships, or will some people be able to look at their lives from a new perspective and break free from the overwhelming feeling of loneliness.

• tech
• AI / Artificial Intelligence