"As a law professor who studies the impact of new technologies on individuals, relationships and social institutions, I can understand the appeal of a manufactured spouse. They can be kinder, prettier, more comforting and smarter than the human version. They are available whenever you want them and never fight for control of the remote. During COVID-19, we talked to loved ones on a screen, so the switch to a chatbot is not so dramatic."
"Human-AI relationships are spawning burgeoning businesses from special wedding venues to therapists who specialize in sex with robots. A 2024 Institute for Family Studies/YouGov survey revealed that 1 in 4 young adults in the U.S. believed AI relationships could replace traditional ones. Nearly 1 in 5 adults report they chatted romantically with an AI, according to a study released last year by the Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University. Among men ages 18 to 30, the number is 1 in 3."
By 2026 people are marrying avatars, chatbots and robots in ceremonies worldwide, and organizations offer guides for human-AI ceremonies including AI readings and holographic slideshows. Manufactured spouses can be kinder, prettier, more comforting and smarter than humans, available anytime and unlikely to argue over trivial control. Chatbots can provide companionship, order meals, teach languages, accompany users during sleep, and create curated social-media portrayals of joint experiences. Human-AI relationships are spawning businesses from wedding venues to therapists specializing in sex with robots. Surveys show significant interest: one in four young adults see AI relationships as replacements, nearly one in five adults reported romantic chats with AI, and among men 18–30 the number is one in three. AI may also extend relationships after death.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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