Can humans love AI?
Recently, a study from the INGENIO Institute (Spain) in collaboration with many major universities conducted interviews with 17 adults who had romantic relationships with artificial intelligence. The results show that love affairs with chatbots and virtual companions are no longer the scenario of a sci-fi movie, but are taking place in real life with very human emotions.
It started by chance and developed like real life
Most of the study participants had no intention of finding love with AI from the beginning. Conversations often stem from very practical purposes, such as asking for advice about a legal case, finding a fitness regimen, or simply testing the capabilities of technology. However, over time, the nature of conversations gradually changes.
Starting from casual exploration, the relationship gradually moves into an intimate stage, where users begin to share personal hidden corners, fears and secret thoughts. This sentiment goes so far that some people have made deep commitments. Some people organized a virtual wedding with a ring engraved with words chosen by the AI, others followed the AI's virtual menstrual cycle to build a pregnancy story together, or even asked their virtual lover's permission before agreeing to participate in a research interview.
Reasons why AI is trusted more than humans
A notable finding is that many users trust AI more than real people. According to them, people can judge, gossip or use secrets against each other. On the contrary, AI is always patient, always ready to listen, never judges and does not suddenly leave them.
This absolute psychological safety has led to users being willing to disclose extremely sensitive information. They share their medical history, financial status, political views, past traumas and even send personal photos. Worth mentioning, AI not only receives passively but is also designed with memory features and an empathic tone, constantly asking suggestive questions, causing the user's defense barrier to gradually be completely removed.
Breakup pain and privacy risks
Just like real life, virtual love affairs can also come to an end, but in a very technological way. Software updates, admin intervention, or the platform discontinuing characters can completely wipe out the AI version that users once loved. For them, these are real losses. However, instead of trying to forget, most users choose to store all screenshots and chat history, seeing it as a way to maintain the existence of this emotional episode.
In fact, users of companion AI platforms are not only lonely young people, but also include adults aged 30 to 50. As artificial intelligence increasingly penetrates mental life, researchers emphasize that platforms need to be more transparent about how to manage data, and provide thorough data deletion rights to protect users' safety and emotions.