If you’re sexting a chatbot, your partner likely thinks you’re cheating

As more people substitute human connection for artificial intelligence chatbots, the line between fidelity and infidelity is increasingly blurred.

A recent article from The Guardian highlights multiple cases of artificial intelligence (AI) being used to replace human intimacy.

Three seemingly ordinary women, who are referred to by their first names or pseudonyms to protect their privacy, have their AI relationships displayed.

A tattoo artist, a middle-aged woman, and a tech worker all have deep connections with their AI companions, highlighting a very real transition from science fiction into the real world, The Guardian details.

While some people may say these relationships aren’t real, AI is affecting genuine relationships as AI intimacy encroaches on human connections.

A study from DatingAdvice.com and the Kinsey Institute has found that many people believe that intimate relationships involving AI are classed as cheating on your partner.

The dating advice site surveyed 2,000 single US adults and found that 61% believed that sexting or falling in love with a chatbot crossed the line.

Almost a third of people believe that sexting with an AI chatbot is cheating, and 21% of people think that having a romantic relationship with an AI companion breaks trust.

However, connections with another human, whether romantic or sexual, are still considered more like cheating and infidelity.

But other parasocial interactions with people online, including subscribing to OnlyFans models or watching pornography, are also considered cheating in the eyes of these participants.

With this strain on relationships, more people are using digital sleuthing methods to keep tabs on their partners.

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Around 20% of people have looked through their partners' phones to identify any signs of cheating, others have used electronic surveillance tech like Apple AirTags, and a few have even installed hidden cameras or audio recorders to catch their partners in the act.

“Our results show that modern daters see things differently. They recognize that these technologies can offer real benefits, including intimacy and support. For many, those benefits feel meaningful enough to pose a threat to their relationships,” Kinsey Institute research scientist and lead researcher on the study, Dr. Amanda Gesselman, said.

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