When an affair involves a chatbot
October 14, 2026
A study by researchers at Brigham Young University’s Wheatley Institute and the Institute for Family Studies has found something startling: In the United States, 1 out of every 7 young adults in a serious relationship is also regularly using an AI romantic companion. Moreover, the majority of these users reported it was either somewhat or extremely important to them that their significant other not discover the extent of their involvement.
The appeal of chatbots from companies like Replika or Character.ai is not hard to understand. They are available to users 24/7. They can learn from previous interactions to better relate to the same user over time. They willingly go anywhere the user wants to go, sexually or emotionally. And they never disappoint users or go against their wishes. Indeed, the majority of users in the survey reported greater feelings of safety and openness with their AI companion than with real people.
