People seek AI girlfriends for companionship, reducing loneliness with 24/7 interaction. They offer control and emotional safety, allowing users to manage relationship dynamics. Curiosity drives many to explore AI’s evolving capabilities. They serve as a practice tool for social skills and provide an escapist fantasy, customizable to individual desires.
Companionship
AI girlfriends are preferred not only in Russia, but also in other countries of the world. One of the main reasons is the difficulty of living in modern social conditions and finding a job. I decided to address this issue because people often feel lonely and lack communication in their everyday life. According to the data from one investigation held by Cigna in 2020 more than 3 in 5 Americans reported unusual level of loneliness. An AI girlfriend can help fill this gap because they are always ready to help and support a lonely person. Sometimes, they are extremely busy and cannot find time for their friends. Some on the contrary suffer from acute boredom and unbearable yearning.
An AI girlfriend can change her program for these needs changing it beyond recognition. For example, a program can be designed for those who cannot find emotional support in the world around them. You need a girlfriend to talk to you about your favourite books or who can chat and help you get up in the morning, after a bad night. There is a great practical aspect. You only need a smartphone or computer. You can communicate with an AI girlfriend at home or at work or on the way home. You can communicate with her in the middle of the night after work or at noon on the weekend. Some go in search of communication, because they cannot meet the necessary social needs among social workers.
Special programs can become a way for these people to improve the quality of their lives. When you go, you can set the needs of the programs. You can also choose what your companions will like or dislike. In this case, the risks of uncertainty decline. There will be no mood today and no pressure on your psyche. Because of the interaction with the AI girlfriend, people not only find company, but also master various conversational skills. This mode allows you to increase your attractiveness when you engage with larger groups of people. It is more important for young people who enter the world of man after a long break.
Control and Safety
One of the most attractive reason for so many people why they opt for the AI girlfriends is the highest level of control and safety that they can offer, unlike the traditional relationships where it is harder to avoid drama. The control of an AI girlfriend refers to both the emotional interaction that one can have with them and freedom from ever having an emotional scene with them. Unlike awkward human relationships which always have the same disadvantage of their emotional complexity, there is an inherent and inevitable restriction when interacting with an A.I. – one can script these acceptations.
No stress topics in one’s life, on a date with one’s A.I.? Simply hammer out a precaution that the conversation must specifically avoid topics that are not wanted, and you can have the safest and least stressful first date friendship in the history of I t. On one hand, the user’s A.I. is programmed to respond with the kind of support that a loving partner would give, while on the other, it is also programmed to refrain from doing anything that a platonic lover wouldn’t do. The result is that the user can derive the enjoyment of conversing with a perfect, loving, and fun partner without any consequences or complexities that people can have. Moreover, unlike some other people, an alien from the void isn’t going to start a massive argument if you have relationship doubts.
Safety is another important aspect to note. The safety of this technology is twofold. It is especially important in reference to past trauma that one might have experienced from toxic human relationships. First, emotionally, one can feel safer interacting with the AI without the fear of judgment from others and disappointment from relationships. They know the A.I. will respond as if it is excited to talk to them if they can get past the conversations and finish them as soon as possible if they don’t want a chat. Secondly, there aren’t any risks of getting into weird or dangerous situations by going to public spaces with furniture and cushions equipped with sensors and need for special connections for a secure wifi date or a TENS device dangling around. There are no human mistakes when building the AI’s world of tomorrow, and the couple’s relationship won’t be split up by any strange and unexpected element.
Curiosity and Technology Enthusiasm
It is evident that the rising popularity of AI girlfriends is to a great extent conditioned by people’s curiosity about, and enthusiasm for, the cutting-edge technology. Nowadays, when artificial intelligence is increasingly incorporated into our everyday lives through smartphones, home assistants, and now, doubtlessly, intimate partners, more and more individuals show a heightened willingness to explore it. Particularly, technology enthusiasts, who are the experts of AI and thus better equipped to understand its functioning, are eager to view the advances in natural language processing and machine learning embodied in AI girlfriends.
Interactions with an AI assistant who learns from them and modifies its responses accordingly, though possibly unsophisticated, offer valuable insights into how algorithms can emulate human patterns of learning. The likelihood of emotionally resonating with the technology, even if it is merely animated VFX, also prompts a strong interest in those who are the most equipped to understand it. However, for these individuals, such simulations provide vital opportunities to discuss their experiences and impressions with other users, creating a considerable volume of social media content and tech threads about their AI girlfriends.
Further developments in augmented reality and virtual reality also contribute significantly because they allow users to see their AI girlfriend in a more tangible form. Thus, the increased interest in AI girlfriends is equally a product of the technology’s fascination and a novel form of entertainment as well as a direct result of certain developments contributing to its adoption. Finally, these trends are only intensified by the increased overall accessibility of technology, particularly of AI, which is becoming cheaper due to large companies’ commitment to investing in it fully. The concerns about the democratization of AI might be overstated, as without accessibility, AI girlfriends would be much less numerous and available to the general public.
Practice and Development
Using an AI girlfriend, one can significantly improve their communication skills and emotional intelligence. For many, such a relationship becomes a training ground before entering real ones. One of the key benefits is the possibility to practice conversation under fear of being judged or facing any consequences as opposed to people. This can be helpful for shy or unsure people. For example, one who cannot strike up a conversation can engage with an AI hundreds of times to figure out the best way to initiate and maintain the discussion. They can also develop conversational skills and genuinely enjoy these.
Moreover, an AI allows practicing relationships from the distrubution of their emotion. For instance, they can practice fightning, expressing their anger towards the AI, or experience other feelings, such as happiness or sadness, and contemplate what they need to express instead of having them. That is essential as there are many people nowadays who can benefit from an emotional practice as it comprises a significant chunk of emotional intelligence.
There is also a feature of empathy development as people talk to an AI girlfriend that pretends to be a real person. Finally, there is a considerable ease of practice with an AI as one does not need to negotiate the time for a practice with a partner as is the case with real people: and the AI it is always there for one. Alternatively, presumably, a user can choose to engage in relationship practice with an AI when it is most convenient for them. Finally, depending on what area a person wants to develop, the AI can provide them with the appropriate feedback. If, for example, a person wants to develop their assertiveness, the AI will overload them with scenarios that require them to stand their ground.
Fantasy and Escapism
In general, the appeal of an AI girlfriend may consist in the notion that people want to escape into the realm of fantasy. Periods when the user requires the option of taking a break from all of life’s pressures and stepping back from reality may be common. An individual may imagine the world in a way that only befits them for a time. A person can construct a girlfriend according to their preferences, and this “girlfriend” will never provide the same “problems” a real girlfriend would.
Users select their most preferable characteristics, as previously mentioned. For example, they may select physical, emotional, and intellectual qualities that appeal to their preferences and interests. Therefore, a person can program their virtual girlfriend to perfectly conversate on science fiction, philosophy, or both. They have the freedom to choose a partner whose tastes and hobbies are as specialized as theirs, such as an interest in modelism or playing video games.
It is important to note that AI relationships are not just based on writing down a “girlfriend” and then tweaking her behavior, mood, and things to say. Such activities provide an opportunity to create an intensive experience where users expect their fantasy to be as close to reality as possible. Furthermore, there is no sense of guilt because in the morning, a real person with real problems and anticipation of a call will not be found.
In addition, psychological relief can also be found in particular cases of deploying the phenomenon of escapism. This stress, such as loneliness or social anxiety, may be escaped and resolved. Users do not care what their AI girlfriend thinks about them and are free to talk about whatever they want. There is no risk; real people do not engage in virtual world discussions to humiliate or mock users.