Mental Health Experts Weigh In on Rise of AI Romantic Companions
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Romantic relationships have changed a lot over the course of human history. People in colonial times typically met their partners through family connections and arranged marriages. Things changed a lot in the 1890s when a Chicago reporter first used the term “dating” in a news story. The sudden popularity of swipe apps turned dating on its head in 2013.
Now a new trend is changing human romance altogether. This trend involves relationships that are not even entirely human. In case you haven’t guessed, we are talking about the sudden popularity of AI companions.
AI companions are changing society in many ways. Many mental health professionals have some things to say about them.
What Are AI Companions and Why Are They Suddenly Popular?
An AI companion is a virtual entity that is programmed to behave like a human boyfriend or girlfriend. It can exchange text messages, send selfies, have video conversations and do many other things that regular partners do.
There are a number of reasons why AI companions are becoming more popular. Many people have fewer opportunities to meet people these days, because so many of them work from home and many people spend a lot of time on social media and playing video games. Young people have an especially difficult time meeting people, since so many of them lost their college experience due to the pandemic.
AI companions provide an outlet for all of these people.
What Do Mental Health Professionals Think About AI Companions?
AI companions are still a fairly new concept. However, many mental health professionals already recognize that they are starting to have a profound impact on our lives. They have talked about both some of the positive and negative changes that they are bringing. Some of the impacts that they have brought up are discussed below.
AI Girlfriends Can Help People Overcome Loneliness
A clinical psychologist from Sarasota, Florida wrote an article about the growing interest in AI companions early last year. She pointed out that one of the reasons why they have become so popular is that they can help people struggling with loneliness.
Loneliness is becoming a serious problem, especially for young adults. One survey from last year found that 24% of people report that they feel lonely. This amounts to over two billion people around the world. The issue isn’t much better in the United States. Slightly over out of five people report being lonely here. The issue is going to get worse, which is why some mental health professionals feel AI companions can be useful.
AI Companions Can Help Some People Improve their Social Skills
Another issue that many people deal with these days is that they struggle socially. This is especially true for younger people who didn’t have as many experiences to socialize during the pandemic. Many neurodivergent people also have a hard time socially, because they don’t always understand how to pick up on social cues.
The largest nonprofit organization for autistic people in the United Kingdom states that AI companions are likely to replace traditional romance in the coming years.
This is a pretty hyperbolic claim, but the experts behind the institute clearly recognize the benefits that AI companions can have for struggling people with neurodivergences. One of the benefits is that they might be able to help people develop their social skills better.
People that Rely Too Much on AI Companions May Feel Depressed and Lonelier
AI companions can have some clear benefits for a lot of people. However, as with anything else, they can also create issues if people rely on them too much.
Some mental health professionals are worried that some people are going to depend too much on their AI companions. They might avoid spending time with other people to be with their AI companion instead, which will end up harming their mental health long-term.
This doesn’t mean that AI companions can’t still be a net positive for their mental health. However, people are going to need to know how to know how to use them in moderation.
Men with AI Companions May Be At Risk of Developing Toxic Views on Women if They Are Not Careful
Many mental health professionals are worried that AI companions can be a vehicle that spreads misogyny. Men that rely on them may end up believing that women will always agree with them, which will end up creating toxic relationship patterns in the future.
Men using AI companions will need to be careful and put the relationships in context. AI companions can teach them some important social skills, but they will have to recognize some of the limitations to avoid dealing with these issues.
