AI in love: almost one in two young people believes it will facilitate love happiness

Regarding emotional support, 48% of all respondents aged 18 to 24 and 47% of those aged 25 to 34 said they believed “AI intimate companions” – a category that ranges from chatbots to sex dolls – would improve human happiness in the next decade.

When the same question was asked focusing on deeper connection and sexual well-being, the numbers stood at 32% and 38%, respectively.

In both aspects, older people were less optimistic.

The psychological impact of chatbots on vulnerable people has been closely monitored recently, after some families linked the deaths of several American teenagers to the use of AI.

In September, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) required seven companies, including tech giants Alphabet, Meta, OpenAI and Snap, to provide it with information on how they monitor and address the negative impacts of chatbots designed to simulate human relationships.

Geographic division

YouGov and the media company that commissioned the study, Tokyo-based Star X Gen, told AFP they had been surprised by the regional disparity.

In Indonesia, 50% of people – of all ages – said they believed AI companionship would improve sexual connection and well-being.

The percentage was 34% in Hong Kong and 24% in Japan, falling to 20% in the United States, 15% in Germany and only 9% in the United Kingdom.

“While Western audiences largely view synthetic intimacy as a threat to authentic human closeness, Asian audiences appear increasingly willing to integrate AI into their personal and physical lives,” said Philippe Chan of YouGov.

Although the use of chatbots for romance and sex is becoming widespread, their materialization in robots or dolls is in a more incipient phase.

Of the 9,912 surveyed, only 17% said they would consider using an “AI intimate doll,” compared to 59% who said they would not.

In general, younger adults were more likely than older adults to consider trying a doll, and in Japan and Germany, the number of young people who would consider trying a doll was almost double the national average.

“While the global population remains wary, the next generation is actively redefining the boundaries of love life,” the report states.

In Japan, more than a third of young adults said they believed AI dolls could provide a feeling of love, outnumbering those who disagreed.