In an era where smartphones and artificial intelligence (AI) are constant companions, more Americans are reportedly turning to AI not only for quick answers but also for deeper emotional and even romantic connections.
A recent survey by Vantage Point Counseling, a therapy firm based in Texas, reveals that over a quarter of adults in America have engaged in intimate or romantic interactions with AI systems.
The firm’s data on AI loneliness comes at a time when traditional marriage rates continue their decades-long decline, raising new questions about how virtual relationships might affect families, societal norms, and even population numbers in the future.
The survey, which polled 1,012 adults across the U.S., found that 28% of respondents reported at least one intimate or romantic tie with an AI platform. More broadly, 54% described some form of relationship with AI – ranging from platonic friendships to professional-like interactions, or even “familial” roles.
ChatGPT topped the list as the most commonly used AI for bonds or “relationships,” followed by Character.ai, Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google’s Gemini. Other AI platforms mentioned by respondents in the survey included Claude, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot, with smaller apps like Muah AI and Replika also popping up.
Interestingly, the study suggests these AI connections aren’t just a refuge for the lonely.
In fact, 53% of those “emotionally involved” with AI are already claiming to be in stable human relationships, like marriages or long-term dating.
Others in the survey report some “overlapping” situations: 34% say they are cheating or practicing consensual non-monogamy, 19% are still looking for human romance. Overall, 87% of respondents reported that they recently experienced some form of real-world intimacy, blurring the line between AI and human connections.
AI relationships aren’t necessarily a new trend; in fact, they have been around long enough to even create infidelity and trust problems, according to the firm.
Views on whether AI romance constitutes infidelity vary sharply by age.
Adults 60 and older are apparently the most accepting, with half saying it doesn’t qualify as cheating when someone is also in a human relationship. In contrast, only 33% of people aged 18 to 29 agree, and a majority of younger adults (57%) consider it unacceptable to have an “AI lover.”
All of this is happening as family life in America continues to change, with marriage rates steadily declining and fewer people choosing to marry or have children.
In 2025, the national marriage rate stands at about 31.2 per 1,000 unmarried women, a significant drop-off, according to a report from Bowling Green State University.
People are waiting longer than ever to get married for the first time. An announcement from the Census Bureau claims that in 2025, the typical age when guys tie the knot is around 30.8, while for women it’s about 28.4.
That’s a big jump from back in 1975, when men were usually 23.5 and women just 21.1.
Today’s divorce rate hovers around 2.4 per 1,000 people, according to the CDC. Overall, this means roughly 40% of first marriages in the U.S. eventually end in divorce.
The Census Bureau also projects that America’s fertility rate will continue to decline, dropping gradually from about 1.63 births per woman today to around 1.55 by the year 2100.
Pew Research Center data also shows that over half of Americans agree that fewer people having children is negative for society, and concerns may be growing worldwide that tech-driven isolation – including “AI intimacy” – could be adding to the drop-off in marriages and birth rates.
