Editorial illustration for AI‑relationships platform claims 5x user growth in 2025, cites sex workers
AI Companions Explode: 50M Users Redefine Relationships
AI‑relationships platform claims 5x user growth in 2025, cites sex workers
In 2025, the relationship economy is being rewired by code, and by sex workers. One AI platform, Joi, claims its user base has quintupled since last year, fueled by erotic role-play chatbots that trade passive porn for immersive digital intimacy. Alix Lynx and Jenna Starr have licensed their likenesses to the service.
Developers race to build something more than “spam”: intelligent, dominant personas that converse, not just simulate. Even a chastity-cage retailer now offers AI-driven BDSM chat. “Submit to Mike,” it prompts.
The stakes are high. As Carolina Bandinelli puts it, an AI chatbot gives people a forum to articulate fantasies, not simply watch them. This is not just a trend; it is a tectonic shift in how we dare to connect.
According to the company, which bills itself as an "AI-lationships" platform, and an antidote to dating apps, its "user base has grown five times in 2025 compared to 2024." Several sex workers, including Alix Lynx and Jenna Starr, have licensed their likeness to Joi (the company declined to share exact user numbers). Developers are also sprinting to create applications for role-play chatbots that are "not just erotic content spam, but something focused on immersive, intelligent conversation with a dominant persona." Even Oxy shop, an online BDSM gear retailer for sub men who like to wear chastity cages, has started to offer an AI-driven "BDSM chat" for members, which allows them to indulge in all sorts of dominatrix fantasies; "Surrender to Mandy" or "Submit to Mike," the page advertises. Watching porn can be a passive experience, but "an AI chatbot allows people a forum to talk about, express, and articulate their sexual fantasies," says Carolina Bandinelli, an associate professor at the University of Warwick whose research focuses on the digital culture of love.
The numbers are staggering. The motivation, less so. This is not about loneliness cured or connection found; it is about a market recognizing that fantasy, when made interactive, becomes a product people will pay for, again and again.
Sex workers license their likenesses, developers chase the next dominant persona, and retailers sell AI alongside restraints. A chatbot doesn’t judge. It doesn’t ghost.
It never fails to say the right thing. But what does it mean when we outsource our most vulnerable dialogues to an algorithm trained to submit? Growth of five times suggests demand is real.
The question is whether we are feeding a need or feeding a hunger that has no bottom.
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Common Questions Answered
How many people are using AI romantic companions according to recent data?
[orifice.store](https://orifice.store/blog/2025/12/how-many-people-have-ai-romantic-partners) reports that approximately 19% of U.S. adults have tried an AI romantic partner chat, which translates to roughly 51 million adults. Among young adults aged 18-30, the usage is even higher, with 31% of men and 23% of women having chatted with an AI romantic companion.
What is the projected market size for AI companion platforms?
[jinlow.medium.com](https://jinlow.medium.com/ai-companions-are-rewriting-intimacy-like-pornhub-rewriting-sex-heres-what-the-data-actually-62cd7976c52a) indicates the AI companion market is expected to grow from $37.7 billion in 2025 to $435.9 billion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate of 31.24%. The market saw an 88% surge in downloads in the first half of 2025, reaching 60 million downloads.
What are the key characteristics of modern AI romantic companions?
[jmbonthous.medium.com](https://articles.jmbonthous.com/ai-girlfriends-a-booming-95-billion-market-4d89df980c86) describes AI girlfriends as sophisticated systems with photorealistic avatars, voice chat, mood recognition, and advanced memory capabilities. These AI companions are engineered to make users feel understood without demanding reciprocation, with some platforms offering customizable characters and detailed interaction systems.
Further Reading
- AI Girlfriend Statistics 2025: Market Growth & Trends — Artsmart.ai
- AI Companions Statistics By Usage, Apps and Facts (2025) — ElectroIQ
- 2025: The State of Consumer AI — Menlo Ventures
- How AI is Transforming Modern Relationships and Dating in 2024 — Mosaic Chats
