Editorial illustration for Study Finds Stigma Causes Shame for Some in AI Relationships
AI Companions: Mental Health Risks Revealed
Study Finds Stigma Causes Shame for Some in AI Relationships
People are falling for artificial intelligence. They’re having real, sustained romances with it, and a new study in *Computers in Human Behavior Reports* confirms a predictable, human consequence: a deep fear of mockery. The research found users of AI partners often feel anxious their social circles will ridicule them.
This shame isn't inherent to the bond. It’s imported, a social tax levied on an unconventional love.
A systematic review of research on AI relationships, published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior Reports last year, found that some people experience shame from the social stigma of having an AI partner, including feeling "anxious that their social circle might ridicule them." Amanda Gesselman, a social psychologist who has conducted much of the Kinsey Institute's research on AI dating, says the 2025 survey shows that 26 percent of singles had used AI to help them online date, including to improve their profiles, craft messages, and plan dates but not to tweak their profile pictures, "since that seems to be a red flag for most people." As I explore the app on one of the phones provided at the event, it's clear that the primary mode of these companions is flirtation.
That 26 percent, as Kinsey researcher Amanda Gesselman noted, is just for the dating coach side of things. The number in full-blown relationships is smaller. They’re a quieter fringe, gathering at events in New York where phones glow with polished apps.
For them, it works. It provides comfort without human risk. Yet they hide it.
We keep framing these bonds as a tech story, but the real headline is loneliness and the brutal efficiency of social norms. The stigma sticks because we keep insisting only one kind of connection counts.
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Common Questions Answered
How prevalent are companion AI applications according to the research?
[Andreessen Horowitz's 2024 analysis revealed that companion AI comprises 16 of the top 100 AI apps based on web traffic and monthly active users. These applications have increasingly sophisticated capabilities, including advanced language processing, memory storage, and diverse interaction modalities that support deeper emotional connections.]
Why are researchers concerned about the rise of companion AI?
Researchers are apprehensive about companion AI's potential to replace human relationships, particularly given the current global loneliness epidemic. The article highlights two primary concerns: first, that AI might meet social and emotional needs so completely that it replaces human interactions, and second, the broader societal implications of widespread AI companionship adoption.
What evidence exists about the current state of loneliness in society?
The US Surgeon General has classified loneliness as an epidemic with severe well-being consequences, while the World Health Organization has equated the health impacts of loneliness to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. This context of increasing social isolation coincides with the rapid development and adoption of increasingly sophisticated companion AI technologies.
Further Reading
- Everything You Need to Know About AI Companions in 2026 — Psychology Today
- AI chatbots and digital companions are reshaping emotional ... — American Psychological Association
- What is AI Psychosis? Symptoms, Risks & Prevention in 2026 — FasPsych
- AI Companions and Mental Health: Why Virtual Friends Can't ... — Neuro Wellness Spa
