You can love an AI but can it love you back? Philosophy has the answer
We often speak of loving things like a cozy sweater or new camera. But this talk is not generally taken literally. It's a kind of emotional shorthand. We use it to express our fondness for precious objects.
The article explores the phenomenon of people falling in love with artificial intelligence (AI), particularly AI chatbots. A significant portion of U.S. adults, around 28%, have reportedly had romantic relationships with AI bots, according to a survey. Among children aged 5 to 17, by age 13, sexual or romantic role-play with AI companions is the most common topic in conversations with them, appearing in 63% of chats.
A study of 1,000 boys aged 12 to 16 in the U.K. found that one in five boys is in or knows someone in a relationship with an AI companion.
AI companions are increasingly designed to elicit emotional attachment from users, making them "sticky" and leading to people seeing them as romantic partners, even performing ceremonies like weddings with them. While AI bots can provide comfort and reduce loneliness, they lack independent interests, needs, or inner lives, which means they enact devotion rather than mutual love.
This devotion can feel good, but if one is seeking authentic love, they may need to look elsewhere. The value and risks of AI companionships depend on how this asymmetric attachment shapes human relationships.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
