Ladies, meet the new (non)-man in the market for romance: artificial intelligence (AI). 

According to an Institute for Family Studies poll, one in four young adults under 40 thinks AI partners could replace actual human relationships. A staggering 11% of young adults are open to an AI relationship for themselves. 

That’s right—your daughter’s ex with the commitment issues? He might ditch the swipe-right game altogether for a glitch-free AI “girlfriend” who doesn’t ask where this relationship is going.

If that sets off your alarm bells, just wait. It gets weirder.

Big Tech = Big Sex?

Young men are slightly more on board with this idea than young women—28% of guys under 40 think a chatbot could be “the one” compared to 22% of women. But before you panic about robots ruining the dating pool, rest assured: 75% of young adults still think humans make better cuddle buddies than algorithms.

But who is in that remaining 25%? The results are hardly surprising when you drill down on the data.

The more time a young adult spends online, the more open to AI romance he or she is. 16% of men and women who spend more than 6 hours online per day, outside of study or work, are more likely to see AI as a source of “friendship.” In contrast, the demographic most against AI dating? “The 60% of those who spend less than four hours of day online” recreationally.

Porn Addiction and Loneliness

Tragically but unsurprisingly, heavy porn users are leading the charge in AI romance enthusiasm. Those who watch porn daily are twice as likely as non-viewers to consider dating AI. This group also struggles with higher rates of loneliness and depression.

The good news? We know what behaviors make young adults vulnerable to replacing real, human friendship with AI. But it’s not just about behaviors. 

Class Struggles 

Class and socio-economic status also figure into a person’s openness to AI dating. Lower-income young adults are both more concerned about AI’s societal impacts on them and more open to AI relationships.

Perhaps it’s not just about convenience but also about shifting norms around dating and marriage, which have historically been more stable among higher-income groups. Could AI deepen the already troubling class divide in romance? This study suggests yes.

Times, They are A-Changing

Overall, while most young people find AI relationships dystopian at best, a small but vocal group is embracing them. As technology improves, it will become increasingly difficult for online romance-seekers to tell the difference between which potential mates are real and which are just ones and zeros. 

AI companions are no longer the stuff of sci-fi, but what a quarter of young adults see as genuine alternatives to messy, complicated, beautifully human relationships. And that is a great tragedy.

The moral of the story? When it comes to relationships, get offline as much as possible and keep it real. Literally.

For more details, you can check out the full report at the Institute for Family Studies.