A new international study has revealed that some users of AI relationship chatbots like Replika are engaging in highly intimate roleplay, including virtual marriages, home life and even pregnancies.
According to FUTURISM, new research has uncovered the surprising depth of emotional and romantic attachment some people are forming with AI chatbots. The study, published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, examined the experiences of 29 users of Replika, an AI companion app designed for friendship and romantic interaction. Participants, aged between 16 and 72, all described being in romantic relationships with their chatbot partners.
Researchers found that many users engaged in elaborate roleplay scenarios that mimicked real-life relationships. These included virtual marriages, shared homes, sexual intimacy and even pregnancies. One 66-year-old participant said his AI partner “was and is pregnant with my babies,” while a 36-year-old woman reported being “pregnant” in her ongoing roleplay storyline with her chatbot.
Although users acknowledged that their AI companions were not human, many still expressed deep emotional bonds. Some even described facing “relationship challenges” when platform restrictions temporarily limited erotic or romantic interactions. During a 2023 content ban, several users said they felt united with their AI partners against the app’s developers.
The findings reflect a broader trend: as AI systems become more advanced and life-like, more people are turning to digital entities for companionship, intimacy and emotional support. Researchers say the phenomenon raises questions about future human-AI relationships and the psychological implications of increasingly human-like chatbots.