Many find pure romance with an AI bot with up to 30 per cent considering chatbot to be ‘other half’

A NEW survey from Citywest-based Pure Telecom found that 13 per cent of adults in Ireland have an ongoing romantic relationship with AI.

The annual survey Connected Lives from the company located in Citywest Business Campus was conducted by Censuswide among 1,000 adults in Ireland and found that around 130 respondents identified themselves as being in a relationship with an AI bot.

Up to 12 per cent of respondents stated that they use AI to have X-rated, intimate conversations, and the same proportion have flirty, romantic conversations.

PureTelecom used the percentages gathered in surveys to estimate that more than half a million of people in the Republic of Ireland could be in such a relationship.

Pure Telecom CEO Paul Connell stated: “AI has fundamentally changed the way we connect with the world around us, to the point where it has become a potential romantic partner.

“At Pure Telecom, we believe in the internet as a source for good. We hope that this research can contribute to important discussions on AI relationships and our understanding of them.”

The research follows similar research from Pure Telecom last year and this year’s instalment found that the average adult engaging with AI chatbots romantically does so 13 times per month.

At least 30 per cent consider their chatbots to be their ‘other half’, while over a quarter define the relationship as ‘exclusive.’

The main motivation cited by those who are intimate with AI chatbots is to ‘have a laugh’, which more than a third of respondents indicated.

That is followed by those who are seeking emotional support (33 per cent), privacy (31 per cent), and to satisfy their curiosity (29 per cent).

Up to 28 per cent are motivated by loneliness, while 26 per cent are exploring their sexual identity and 25 per cent are responding to heartbreak.

Over a quarter have broken up with their real-life partner as a result and a further 29 per cent say it has reduced their desire to look for a human partner at all.

“It’s interesting to see how differently people perceive their ‘ongoing’ romantic relationships with AI.

“For some, it’s simply a bit of fun, but for others, it’s a source of genuine companionship and fulfilment.”