The Dangers of AI-Generated Romance – There are risks in investing too much of ourselves in virtual relationships instead of real ones.

From the article

>Unfortunately, no. Platforms generating AI girlfriends are experiencing a massive growth in popularity, with millions of users. Most of these searches are initiated by young single men drawn to AI girlfriends to combat [loneliness](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/loneliness) and establish a form of companionship. These “girlfriends” are virtual companions powered by the increasingly sophisticated field of [artificial intelligence](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/artificial-intelligence).

>Although artificial, their popularity stems from their ability to provide companionship, emotional support, and intimacy through voice or text-based interactions. The average age of a user is 27, but not all users are male—18% of users identify as female, so this activity transcends [gender](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/gender). Almost 20% of men who use traditional [dating](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mating) apps indicate they had AI-generated romances at some point. AI-generated dating platforms generate billions of dollars from users, with nearly half interacting with their virtual partner daily.

>According to an article published in The Hill, 60% of men between 18 and 30 are single. One in five of these young men report not having a close friend.