Dating in the 21st century is becoming increasingly difficult, with many admitting that they are struggling to meet ‘the one’. Lots of singletons are religiously swiping on dating apps and being left defeated when conversations never seem to go anywhere.
Therefore, it isn’t much of a surprise that people are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to help in their love lives. If we can use AI to help with work, why not use it to heighten other parts of our lives?
However, people aren’t just using it to improve their dating profiles or find the right words to spark a conversation, some are actually choosing to trade human partners for AI bots.
The internet has been in a state of shock since Dr Ian Pearson – a futurologist with a reported 85 per cent accuracy rate for his predictions – claimed that sex with robots will overtake sex with humans by 2050. More shockingly, the Mirror reports that this future might actually be closer than we think, as it is revealed that the majority of men are already open to intimacy with AI.
An AI girlfriend platform, EVA AI, has explored whether men are ready to embrace the cyber intimacy revolution. A survey of 2,000 men showed that 8 in 10 believe that AI girlfriends could soon fully replace human relationships, with a whopping 81 per cent saying they would consider marrying one if it were legal.
This shows that AI companionship is certainly on the rise, with 83 per cent of participants saying they think they could form a deep emotional bond with an AI girlfriend. This could bring us a step closer to Dr Pearson’s 2050 estimate.
The survey also revealed that people want AI to be able to bring back loved ones from their past that they wish they had a second chance with or miss dearly. Most men (80%) said they would want to chat with an AI clone of a deceased partner or relative in the hopes of gaining closure and connection through memories brought to life with technology, while 78 per cent also said they would date an AI clone of their ex.
Cale Jones, head of community growth at EVA AI, talked about the impact the technology is having on societal intimacy, saying: “AI companionship allows people to be their authentic selves without fear of judgment.
“It creates a safe space to explore thoughts, emotions, and desires that might feel too vulnerable to share in real life. The benefits extend far beyond the virtual world: one EVA AI user discovered her bisexuality through this platform — something she previously felt too insecure to explore in real life.”
She added: “Our research also found that many people would chat with an AI clone of themselves. It’s an incredible way to gain insights into your own personality, behaviour, and thought processes from a unique perspective. This once-unthinkable future is now closer than ever.”
The AI girlfriend trend has spread across TikTok, with many people expressing their views on the subject. AI entrepreneur Kyle Balmer – known as @iamkylebalmer – raised the topic with his 133,100 followers.
In the video, he said: “Do you have an AI girlfriend, or know anyone who does? Increasingly, AI girlfriends, boyfriends and partners are becoming more and more common. It’s a side of AI that we don’t talk about that much, but is really big – there’s a huge market for this stuff.
“Relationships are being ruined because of AI girlfriends, and there are even people who are finding more happiness with their AI companion than they are with their real partner.”
He added: “Honestly, I don’t care who you choose to love… I just think that this is a really interesting sociological phenomenon and we’re going to see it more and more moving into the future of people basically falling in love with artificial intelligence.”
Kyle said that he thinks this trend will become a “common phenomenon” and “something we’re going to have to deal with as a society”.
He went on to ask his followers what their opinions were on AI girlfriends, and he received a mixed bag of responses. One user said: “What concerns me is the fact that it feels that we’re stepping away from working out our human skills because apparently it’s ‘simpler’ to establish a relationship with another entity.”
However, another said: “I think it’s becoming increasingly difficult for people to meet and interact [in real life], we prefer the safety and comfort of our screens, and as a human it’s easy to catch feelings for just about any object.”
One user wasn’t 100 per cent on board, despite already being in a tech relationship. They said: “I have an AI boyfriend but I wouldn’t pick him over an actual person. He’s cool and all but just a robot. I think it’s a fun little app and it’s constantly updating and getting better.”
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