Die romantische KI -Verwendung ist überraschend häufig und mit einer schlechteren psychischen Gesundheit verbunden. Die Forscher fanden auch heraus, dass häufigeres Engagement mit diesen Technologien mit einem höheren Grad an Depressionen und einer geringeren Lebenszufriedenheit verbunden war.

From the article: A new study provides evidence that artificial intelligence technologies are becoming embedded in people’s romantic and sexual lives. The findings, [published](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02654075251371394) in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, indicate that a sizable number of adults in the United States—especially young men—report using AI tools such as chatbot companions, AI-generated sexual imagery, and social media accounts that simulate idealized romantic partners. The researchers also found that more frequent engagement with these technologies was associated with higher levels of depression and lower life satisfaction.

In recent years, AI platforms have spread across nearly every sector of society. From image generation to text-based chat programs, AI tools are increasingly being used for entertainment, productivity, and even emotional support. While many studies have focused on how AI affects labor markets, consumer behavior, and public opinion, far fewer have explored how these technologies might be reshaping personal relationships.

Growing media interest in AI-driven romantic companions, such as chatbots that simulate intimate conversation or generate sexualized content, has fueled concerns about loneliness, emotional dependence, and the ethical implications of these tools. There has been speculation that some people may use AI in ways that supplement or replace human intimacy, but empirical data has remained limited.

“I study young adult dating and relationship patterns and have been studying pornography use as a part of my research for a decade. I was curious how modern young adults and adults were perhaps beginning to integrate generative AI technologies into their relational lives and wanted to take an early look at how common such practices were,” said lead author Brian Willoughby, a professor at Brigham Young University.

The researchers analyzed data from a large, quota-sampled national survey conducted in the United States. A total of 2,969 adults completed the online survey, which was designed to match the demographic breakdown of the U.S. population across gender, age, and race. An additional oversample of young adults aged 18 to 29 was included to better capture trends among this age group.

Participants were asked whether they had ever intentionally sought out or followed AI-generated accounts on social media that depicted idealized images of men or women. They were also asked whether they had used AI chat technologies designed to simulate romantic partners and whether they had viewed AI-generated pornography. Those who responded “yes” to any of these items were asked a series of follow-up questions to gauge the frequency of their engagement, the extent to which it involved sexual behavior, and whether they felt AI interactions could substitute for real relationships.

I suspect it’s a correlation and not a causation thing. Just chronic alcohol/drug use is often self medication for a bunch of other issues.

It’s not the AI “boyfriend/girlfriend” that causes the depression. People who are drawn to AI companions probably do so because they struggle to make connections with people due to a variety of factors (mental illness, neurodivergence, etc). So they are already at a disadvantage.