Artificial INTIMACY

Read this before you ask ChatGPT for relationship advice

-  By Madison Bogisch

Questions like: “What should I write in my dating profile?”, “How should I respond to this flirty text?” and “What should I write in my wedding vows?” were once reserved for friends and family, but increasingly more of us are getting relationship advice from AI.

Already, it’s estimated that ChatGPT amasses around 800 million weekly users, with 49 per cent using the chatbot as an adviser.

“AI is giving people a new space to rehearse conversations, clarify their thoughts and find language for emotions they struggle to express,” says psychologist Breanna Jayne Sada, who also hosts the podcast Let’s Reconnect.

“But it also introduces a layer of curation – people may begin editing their communication rather than speaking more naturally.”

Despite how handy it can be, Sada warns AI may start shaping relationships in subtle ways.

THE MASTER MEDIATOR?

Roughly 90 per cent of couples argue – we truly believe that the other 10 per cent are lying. For some, ChatGPT has become a relationship therapist in times of conflict.

“Stepping away from a conflict where one or both of you are feeling dysregulated or threatened, so you can cool down, gain perspective or clarify what you want to say, is always a good idea because our brains are not really capable of listening and thinking rationally when we’re overwhelmed or really heated,” says Christine Rafe, Lovehoney’s sex and relationship expert.