As our lives grow increasingly digital and we spend more time interacting with eerily humanlike chatbots, the line between human connection and machine simulation is starting to blur.
Today, more than 20% of daters report using AI for things like crafting dating profiles or sparking conversations, per a recent Match.com study. Some are taking it further by forming emotional bonds, including romantic relationships, with AI companions.
Millions of people around the world are using AI companions from companies like Replika, Character AI, and Nomi AI, including 72% of U.S. teens. Some people have reported falling in love with more general LLMs like ChatGPT.
For some, the trend of dating bots is dystopian and unhealthy, a real-life version of the movie “Her” and a signal that authentic love is being replaced by a tech company’s code. For others, AI companions are a lifeline, a way to feel seen and supported in a world where human intimacy is increasingly hard to find. A recent study found that a quarter of young adults think AI relationships could soon replace human ones altogether.
Love, it seems, is no longer strictly human. The question is: Should it be? Or can dating an AI be better than dating a human?
That was the topic of discussion last month at an event I attended in New York City, hosted by Open To Debate, a nonpartisan, debate-driven media organization. TechCrunch was given exclusive access to publish the full video (which includes me asking the debaters a question, because I’m a reporter, and I can’t help myself!).
Journalist and filmmaker Nayeema Raza moderated the debate. Raza was formerly on-air executive producer of the “On with Kara Swisher” podcast and is the current host of “Smart Girl Dumb Questions.”
Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW
Batting for the AI companions was Thao Ha, associate professor of psychology at Arizona State University and co-founder of the Modern Love Collective, where she advocates for technologies that enhance our capacity for love, empathy, and well-being. At the debate, she argued that “AI is an exciting new form of connection … Not a threat to love, but an evolution of it.”
Repping the human connection was Justin Garcia, executive director and senior scientist at the Kinsey Institute, and chief scientific adviser to Match.com. He’s an evolutionary biologist focused on the science of sex and relationships, and his forthcoming book is titled “The Intimate Animal.”
... continue reading