What started as tools to answer emails and write essays has quietly turned into something more intimate for a growing number of users.

In 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness a “global public health concern.” The same year, a national survey found that it takes Americans roughly 4,000 swipes over the span of eight months to find a partner.

Combined with reports of burnout, ghosting and negative experiences on dating apps, many people find it increasingly difficult to acquire steady attention and emotional reassurance in their lives. 

However, artificial intelligence now readily offers a bridge.

Part of the appeal of AI chatbots derives from the way they offer a level of steadiness that people, by nature, can’t always provide.

AI chatbots reply instantly, remember details and stay available for as long as the user keeps engaging.

“Using something like Character.AI kind of takes away the harshness of how women are treated in reality. I want someone to be sure of me and love me unconditionally. I’ll find that someday, but for now, it’s nice to imagine it through the chatbot,” a user identified as Sabrina told Women’s Health.

For many people discouraged by dating, AI becomes a safe place to explore the kind of attention they seek in reality. Experts warn that this comfort comes with trade-offs.

When people turn to AI to avoid real-world dating, they are delaying the development of abilities real relationships require.

Avoiding these interactions “only makes them harder to learn later in life,” an article from Men’s Health said, noting that people are “the sum total of our experiences,” and without them, “you have little for yourself and less to offer in a relationship.”

With AI facilitating many aspects within our lives, it becomes a gateway to “easier” alternatives. “As soon as you find out the shortcut, sometimes there’s a tendency to want to rely on it, because it has some inherent benefits,” Dr. Akua Boateng said.