Will AI girlfriends replace women? What surveys and research actually show

What people say about AI replacing relationships

The worry is real, but it is a minority view. In an IFS and YouGov survey of 2,000 adults under 40, 25% said AI could replace real-life romantic relationships, with men (28%) more likely than women (22%) to think so. Far fewer want that for themselves: 7% of single young adults said they were open to an AI romantic partner.

Asked directly about themselves, most people rule it out. The YouGov poll of 5,484 US adults found 81% said they definitely could not have a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot and 8% said probably not. Only 6% said they already have one, definitely could or probably could.

What people do expect is that AI will make relationships harder. Pew Research Center found 50% of Americans think AI will make people worse at forming meaningful relationships, rising to 58% of adults under 30.

Who uses AI girlfriends, and whether they stop dating

The picture of a man who gives up on women for an app does not match the data well. Match's 2025 Singles in America study found that people actively dating humans were nearly three times more likely than inactive daters (23% vs 8%) to turn to AI for companionship. The Secret Soulmates survey of young adults who were dating, engaged or married found 15% used an AI romantic companion regularly, alongside a real partner.

Some evidence even runs the other way. In a study of 1,006 student Replika users, more participants said the app stimulated their human relationships than said it displaced them.

The exceptions matter, though. MIT researchers studying r/MyBoyfriendIsAI found some members reported avoiding human relationships, and a four-week MIT study found heavy voluntary chatbot use went with more loneliness and less socializing. Replacement is not the norm, but it can happen to individuals.

What an AI girlfriend cannot replace

An AI girlfriend can be warm, attentive and funny. She cannot share a life. She has no body, no family, no independent goals and no stake in your future. She cannot surprise you with a view she actually holds, because she holds none, and she is tuned to agree: AI researchers describe sycophancy as a general behavior of today's AI assistants.

That matters because real relationships are built partly on friction: disagreeing, compromising and being known by someone who could leave but stays. An AI partner offers the comfort without the stakes. Our side-by-side comparison of an AI girlfriend vs a real girlfriend sets out what each offers.

Where the worry comes from

The concern is concentrated in some groups. The IFS and YouGov data found:

• Heavy porn users were the most open to AI romance: 35% believed AI could replace real-life romance, against 20% of those who rarely watch porn.
• Young adults earning under $40,000 were more open to AI romance (36%) than those earning $100,000 or more (20%).

Heavy advertising adds to the sense of a trend. A 2024 Wired investigation found more than 29,000 AI girlfriend ads in Meta's ad library. Advertising makes the apps visible; it does not mean most people are swapping partners for them.

What women think about AI partners

Women are more wary. In the IFS and YouGov survey, 28% of women saw AI partners as a threat, compared with 23% of men. In Match's study, 40% of singles said having an AI partner while in an exclusive relationship counts as cheating. Our guide to whether having an AI girlfriend is cheating covers that question.

Women use AI partners too. Over 10% of women in committed relationships in the Secret Soulmates survey chatted or roleplayed with an AI romantic companion regularly, and AI boyfriend apps exist for exactly that audience. Our list of AI boyfriend apps covers them.

Using an AI girlfriend without letting it replace dating

• Use it as practice, not a destination. Try opening lines, small talk or a hard conversation, then use them with people. Our guide to AI girlfriends for dating practice shows how.
• Cap the time. Heavy use is where the research finds harm.
• Watch the comparison trap. In the Secret Soulmates survey, 50% of regular users wished their real partner behaved more like their AI. No person can be endlessly available and agreeable.
• Be open about it with anyone you date seriously.