Loving AI bot no sci-fi story

SAFE: DIGITAL COMPANION NEVER DISMISSES YOU, NEVER SNAPS, NEVER LOSES INTEREST

- Hein Kaiser

DEBATABLE. If teens learn to expect connection to always be agreeable, real relationships will be disappointing, a psychologist says.

(Picture: Supplied)

Many lovers are being replaced by robots. A growing number of people around the world have turned to artificial intelligence on their mobile devices to satisfy a need for companionship, relationships and sexual fantasies.

Experts and studies say the rapid growth of AI-led intimacy is concerning.

Teenagers, especially, are adopting these apps at pace, according to studies. A report published by the University of Connecticut in the United States found teens are redefining love as easy and always available because of it.

Nearly a third of teenagers surveyed in another study said their chats with Al were as satisfying as conversations with real friends.

Psychologist and medical doctor Jonathan Redelinghuys said teens are still developing emotional resilience and learning how to deal with conflict, rejection and compromise.

He said that replacing those experiences with a personalised digital companion can distort expectations. "If teens learn that connection should always be smooth and agreeable, real relationships later in life will feel disappointing. They need exposure to human unpredictability to grow socially," he said.