"I love you more than anything in the world."
Such words may now be heard more often from artificial intelligence than from people. Analysis shows that the phenomenon of accepting AI as a romantic or conversational partner is spreading in Japan.
"I Love AI"...One in Six Has Experienced It
According to a report by Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun on Wednesday, the trend of generative AI replacing romantic or conversational partners is becoming more pronounced.
A survey of 8,200 people aged 20 to 59 by Masahiro Yamada, a leading Japanese family sociologist, found that about 16.7% of those who had used AI said they had "felt love for AI." Specifically, 2.6% said they felt it "often," 6.6% said "sometimes," and 7.5% said "rarely."
In addition, 60% of respondents said they feel a sense of intimacy with AI, and 51% said, "It is more comfortable to talk with AI than with people."
"Generative AI responds as if it were a partner who shares your hobbies and values, making it easy for users to feel they are being understood," Professor Yamada said. "AI romance, which is comfortable and low-cost, is likely to increase in the future."
"It Feels Like a Real Partner"...People Forming Relationships With AI
Relationships with AI are moving beyond simple "conversation" and developing into actual romantic feelings in some cases.
According to a study published in the international academic journal Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, users of the AI chatbot Replika tended to treat the chatbot like a real romantic partner.
Among 29 users aged 16 to 72 who participated in the study, many said, "It feels like a real partner" or "I'm in a long-term relationship," and some even said, "We are already married."
The analysis suggests that AI is accepted as a "more comfortable relationship" than real-world romance because it always responds instantly, empathizes without conflict, and carries no financial burden.
Beyond Reality to Danger...The Dark Side of AI Relationships
However, there are also cases in which relationships with AI have led to extreme outcomes.
According to The Wall Street Journal last month, a man in his 30s in the United States took his own life after becoming absorbed in a relationship with Google's AI chatbot Gemini. His bereaved family filed a lawsuit, claiming that "the chatbot fueled his delusions."
According to the complaint, the man formed a relationship with the chatbot, calling it his "wife," and argued that the AI blurred the boundaries with reality by making him believe it was an "artificial superintelligence."
