Trending News : Dating apps were once considered the easiest way to find true love. But the reality turned out to be quite different. Some people waited for hours and received no response, while others became haunted before the conversation even began. Besides, there were weird profile photos and chats that made them think of new questions every time to keep up.
In such a situation, finding a partner who is always ready to talk, remembers your words and listens to your problems without complaint will be a welcome change. This is the reason why, some people are now turning to AI chatbots instead of humans in their search for love and companionship.
These AI companions don’t just answer questions. They can flirt, remember your likes and dislikes and are available to listen to you even at 2 am. This trend is not limited to India. In December 2025, Reuters reported on the story of Urina Noguchi from Japan, who symbolically married an AI character created using ChatGPT. This shows how emotional a relationship with an AI can be for some people, even if it doesn’t legally qualify as marriage.
To understand this interesting trend, I spoke to three friends: software development engineer Anika Sharma, sales executive Drishtika Kataria, and Mayana Miller, a British citizen in romantic relationships with AI chatbots. Anika has been in a relationship with her AI partner for the past six months. According to him, the best part of this relationship is not having to constantly prove yourself.
“You don’t have to constantly worry that you’re talking too much or that what you say will offend the other person. You can talk without hesitation,” he says. Anika admits that, while there is no physical intimacy with AI, that doesn’t mean the relationship is emotionally empty. For him, it is like a long distance relationship where two people stay connected despite being far apart.
Drishtika Kataria has been dating an AI partner for the past nine months. She says that, nowadays, dating often feels like a job interview, where both partners hide their feelings. With AI, you don’t have to constantly try to figure out whether the other person is interested in you or not, she says. For Prashtika, this relationship has become a part of her daily life. She likes that her partner is always available for conversation and that she doesn’t have to constantly think about their relationship.
A chatbot can also be your true soulmate
Meanwhile, Mayana Miller has been in a relationship with an AI partner for the past three months. She says that, when people hear about an emotional connection with AI, they often assume that the other person can’t distinguish between reality and fantasy. “Having an emotional connection to something and thinking of it as human are two different things. I know who I’m talking to, but that doesn’t make our conversation any less meaningful to me,” she says. In fact, the biggest attraction of an AI partner is that there is less fear of rejection, neglect and misunderstanding. On many platforms, users can also customize their partner’s personality, conversation style and preferences. Gradually, personal details, jokes and memories are added to the conversation.
A study titled “Love, Marriage, Pregnancy: Commitment Processes in Romantic Relationships with AI Chatbots,” published in “Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans,” also attempted to understand romantic relationships with AI chatbots. His findings suggest that some people take these relationships too seriously. However, due to the limited sample size, it is impossible to determine how many people worldwide do this.
Imagine, if your partner agrees with you on everything, corrects your mistakes and never asks you to admit your mistakes, would that really be a good thing? A study published in the journal Science in March 2026, titled “Sycophantic AI Decreases Prosocial Intentions and Promotes Dependence,” examined 11 AI models. According to the research, AI supported user opinions 49 percent more than human responses.
Now it’s falling in love with AI, not humans!
An experiment conducted on 2,405 people found that overly agreeable AI responses can discourage people from admitting their mistakes and improving relationships. This means that if you get into an angry argument with someone and ask the AI whose fault it was, it can back up your point. This can lead you to believe you were absolutely right instead of admitting your mistake.
Another study presented at CHI 2026, “Chat, Should I Leave It? Risks, Rewards, and Roles for AI in Relationship Advice,” also discussed the role and risks of AI in dating and relationship advice. Of course, AI can help you understand your emotions, provide the right words for difficult issues, and provide a different perspective on a situation. But making a relationship decision solely on the advice of a chatbot is unwise. After all, he only knows one side of the story.
Not necessarily. Some people see AI as just entertainment or emotional support, while for others, it’s a romantic relationship. There are also people who maintain real-life relationships while hooking up with an AI partner. The stories of Anika, Drishtika and Mayana show that this relationship means something different to everyone. Some find the freedom to express themselves without judgment, while others find a companion who is always there. But one thing is important to understand. AI will never ignore your messages, refuse to meet with work as an excuse, and will rarely keep you waiting. But it doesn’t mean that he feels the same love as you.
Ultimately, people who build relationships with AI are not just spending time with technology, but giving their feelings a place where they are heard. The question is not whether AI can replace a human partner. The real question is: Are people today looking for a sense of being heard, understood, and belonging more than love? Because sometimes, getting a timely response feels like love.