370,000 adults in Ireland have pursued a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot
Research carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom, found that 13 per cent of men have had a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot, compared to seven per cent of women.
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20 per cent believe romantic relationships with AI are, or would be, less complicated than human relationships.
10 per cent of people claim romantic relationships with AI are a good way to practice for real life relationships.
The age group with the highest amount of people who pursued a romantic relationship with an AI chatbox was 25-34-year-olds at 16 per cent.
18 per cent of people use it to research health symptoms and treatments, while 10 per cent use it as a form of therapy and to get life advice.
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Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: 'This research highlights the pivotal role that AI is beginning to play not just in our professional lives, but our personal ones also.
"As people and technology become increasingly integrated, and AI becomes progressively more advanced, adults in Ireland have found it to be an unexpected source of emotional connection.
"The recent AI boom means that these bots are now readily accessible to all of us – and there's no agony of waiting around for a reply!
'While relationships with bots may seem unconventional, it underscores the remarkable capacity of artificial intelligence to foster connections as it becomes increasingly responsive to our needs.
"The use of these large language models (LLMs) requires fast, reliable internet access and as a provider of this, we at Pure Telecom are excited by the possibilities that AI unlocks. However, it is no replacement for the rewarding spontaneity and depth of human connection.'
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