Statistics
How Many People Form Relationships with AI? 2026 Statistics (50 Data Points)
10% of U.S. adults use chatbots for emotional support, 4% for companionship. 50 sourced stats on AI romance, attachment and who forms bonds with AI.
The short answer
It depends how close to a relationship you mean. In Pew's 2026 survey, 10% of U.S. adults used AI chatbots for emotional support or advice, but only 4% for companionship. Among partnered U.S. adults aged 18–30, 15% regularly interact with an AI romantic partner. The often-quoted 28% who have had an AI romance comes from a single online-panel survey and should not be read as a national rate.
The closer a question gets to an actual relationship, the smaller the number gets. In the most reliable U.S. data, 10% of adults use AI chatbots for emotional support, 4% for companionship, and a smaller group still for romance. AI relationships are real, but they are a niche inside a much larger habit: talking to AI when you need someone to listen.
The twist is in who is inside that niche. Among young adults who regularly use an AI romantic companion, 68% say it is easier to talk about their feelings with AI than with the people in their lives. Few people are in AI relationships — and for many of those who are, it is the easiest relationship they have.
This page brings together 50 data points from seven sources: Pew Research Center, the Institute for Family Studies and Wheatley Institute, Common Sense Media, the Center for Democracy and Technology, Global Dialogues and Vantage Point Counseling. Every figure is linked to where it came from, the source type is named, and anything we worked out ourselves is labelled Slavia analysis.
AI relationship statistics: the key numbers
- 10% of U.S. adults use AI chatbots for emotional support or advice; 4% use them for companionship (Pew, 2026).
- 20% of adults aged 18–29 use chatbots for emotional support — 10× the rate of those 65 and older (Pew, 2026; Slavia analysis).
- 15% of partnered U.S. adults aged 18–30 regularly interact with an AI romantic partner; another 20%–30% have experimented (IFS and Wheatley, 2026).
- 68% of those regular users find it easier to talk about feelings with AI than with people; 65% find it easier to be themselves.
- 50% of regular users wish their real partner behaved more like their AI companion.
- 72% of U.S. teens have tried AI companions; 19% of high school students say they or a friend have interacted with AI romantically.
- 17% find AI romantic partners acceptable; 11% would consider one themselves (Global Dialogues, 2025).
- 28.16% of one online panel of 1,012 U.S. adults reported an AI romance — about 7× Pew's companionship figure, and not a national rate (Slavia analysis).
Each of these measures a different experience — trying a companion, leaning on one for support, using it as a companion, or having a romantic bond. They come from different populations and should never be added together or averaged.
10% of U.S. adults turn to AI for emotional support. 4% for companionship.
How many people form relationships with AI?
Between 4% and 15% of the groups studied, depending on what counts as a relationship and who is asked — with emotional support far more common than romance. Ranked from the loosest measure to the tightest, the numbers fall steadily.
| What was measured | Population | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ever tried an AI companion | U.S. teens 13–17 | 72% | Common Sense Media, 2025 |
| Self or a friend used AI as a friend or companion | U.S. high school students | 42% | CDT, 2025 |
| Ever had an intimate or romantic AI relationship | 1,012 U.S. adults, online panel | 28.16% | Vantage Point Counseling, 2025 |
| Self or a friend interacted with AI romantically | U.S. high school students | 19% | CDT, 2025 |
| Say AI romantic partners are acceptable | 1,052 participants | 17% | Global Dialogues, 2025 |
| Regularly interact with an AI romantic partner | Partnered U.S. adults 18–30 | 15% | IFS and Wheatley, 2026 |
| Would personally consider an AI romance | 1,052 participants | 11% | Global Dialogues, 2025 |
| Use chatbots for emotional support or advice | U.S. adults | 10% | Pew, 2026 |
| Use chatbots for companionship | U.S. adults | 4% | Pew, 2026 |
Sources: Common Sense Media, CDT, Vantage Point Counseling, Global Dialogues, IFS and Wheatley Institute, Pew Research Center (primary surveys)
Different populations and questions. Do not average them. Sources: Common Sense Media 2025, CDT 2025, Vantage Point Counseling 2025, Global Dialogues 2025, IFS and Wheatley 2026, Pew 2026.
Two things stand out. The broad, all-adult measure from the most careful source — Pew — is the smallest number on the list. And the one big romance figure, 28.16%, comes from the least rigorous survey on the list and sits far above every adult figure from a more careful one.
How many people use AI for emotional support and companionship?
About one in ten U.S. adults uses AI for emotional support or advice, and about one in twenty-five for companionship. This is the most reliable all-adult baseline available.
1. 10% of U.S. adults use chatbots for emotional support or advice
Pew Research Center's 2026 survey found 10% of U.S. adults used AI chatbots for emotional support or advice. Someone might ask a chatbot to help them think through a stressful situation without treating it as a friend or partner, so this is the widest "personal" use, not a relationship measure.
2. 4% of U.S. adults use chatbots for companionship
In the same survey, 4% of U.S. adults used AI chatbots for companionship.
Source: Pew Research Center, Americans and AI in 2026 (primary survey)
Who is most likely to turn to AI for connection?
Young adults, by a wide margin. Adults under 30 use chatbots for emotional support ten times as often as those over 65.
| Age group | Emotional support or advice | Companionship | Support ÷ companionship |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18–29 | 20% | 7% | 2.9× |
| 30–49 | 13% | 6% | 2.2× |
| 50–64 | 4% | 2% | 2× |
| 65+ | 2% | 1% | 2× |
| All U.S. adults | 10% | 4% | 2.5× |
Source: Pew Research Center, How Opinions and Use of AI Differ by Age, 2026 (primary survey). Last column: Slavia analysis.
Source: Pew Research Center, How Opinions and Use of AI Differ by Age, 2026 (primary survey).
3. 20% of adults aged 18–29 use chatbots for emotional support
One in five adults aged 18–29 used chatbots for emotional support or advice, compared with 13% of those 30–49, 4% of those 50–64 and 2% of those 65 and older. Under-30s are 10 times as likely as over-65s to do it (Slavia analysis).
4. 7% of adults aged 18–29 use chatbots for companionship
For companionship, the figures were 7% for ages 18–29, 6% for 30–49, 2% for 50–64 and 1% for 65 and older — a 7× gap from youngest to oldest (Slavia analysis).
Source: Pew Research Center, 2026 (primary survey)
How many people have romantic relationships with AI?
A minority of young adults use AI romantic partners regularly; claims that over a quarter of all adults have had one rest on a single panel survey.
5. 15% of partnered young adults regularly interact with an AI romantic partner
A 2026 report from the Institute for Family Studies and Wheatley Institute found 15% of partnered U.S. adults aged 18–30 — people who were dating, engaged or married — regularly interacted with AI chatbots that simulate a committed romantic partner. Another 20%–30% had experimented with AI romantic companions at some point.
These figures cover one age group and one relationship status. They are not a rate for all adults — and notably, they describe people who already have a human partner.
Source: Institute for Family Studies and Wheatley Institute, Simulated Soulmates, 2026 (primary survey)
6. 28.16% of one online panel said they had had an AI romance
A 2025 survey by Vantage Point Counseling of 1,012 U.S. adults found 28.16% reported at least one intimate or romantic relationship with AI — about 285 people (Slavia analysis). The survey used a SurveyMonkey audience panel with demographic balancing.
It also measures having ever had such a relationship, not being in one now.
Source: Vantage Point Counseling, 2025 (primary survey; online panel)
How many people would consider an AI relationship?
More people approve of AI romance in principle than would consider it themselves.
7. 17% said AI romantic partners are acceptable
The Global Dialogues study of 1,052 participants across 230 population segments found 17% said AI romantic partners were acceptable. This is an attitude, not a behaviour.
8. 11% would personally consider a romantic relationship with AI
The same study found 11% would personally consider a romantic relationship with AI. Acceptance runs 6 points ahead of personal interest — roughly two in three of the "acceptable" share, if the groups overlap (Slavia analysis).
The published summary does not give enough methodology to treat these as estimates for any national or global population. They are most useful side by side: they show that tolerating AI romance for others and wanting it yourself are different questions.
Source: Global Dialogues, Human-AI Relationships, 2025 (primary survey)
What do teenagers report about AI relationships?
Most teens have tried AI companions, but mostly not for romance. Romantic interactions are a minority — and the best figure includes friends' experiences.
| What was measured | Population | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ever used an AI companion | 1,060 U.S. teens, 13–17 | 72% | Common Sense Media |
| Use AI companions a few times a month or more | 1,060 U.S. teens, 13–17 | 52% | Common Sense Media |
| Self or a friend used AI as a friend or companion | U.S. high school students | 42% | CDT |
| Used AI companions for social interaction and relationships | 1,060 U.S. teens, 13–17 | About a third | Common Sense Media |
| Self or a friend interacted with AI romantically | U.S. high school students | 19% | CDT |
Sources: Common Sense Media, 2025; Center for Democracy and Technology, 2025 (primary surveys)
9. 72% of U.S. teens have tried AI companions
A Common Sense Media survey of 1,060 U.S. teens aged 13–17 found 72% had used AI companions at least once and 52% used them at least a few times a month. So about 72% of teens who had tried one had become regular users (52 ÷ 72, Slavia analysis) — a high stick rate for a category most people only try.
About one-third had used AI companions for social interaction and relationships — a broad category covering friendship, role-play, romantic interaction, emotional support and conversation practice, not romance alone.
Source: Common Sense Media, 2025 (primary survey)
10. 19% of high school students say they or a friend interacted with AI romantically
The Center for Democracy and Technology found that in the 2024–25 school year, 19% of students said they or a friend had interacted with AI romantically, and 42% said they or a friend had used AI as a friend or companion.
Because the question includes friends, these numbers overstate personal experience. What they do show is proportion: the romantic figure is less than half the companion figure (19 ÷ 42 = 45%, Slavia analysis).
AI companion apps for romance are for adults. These teen figures describe general AI tools and companions, and should never be read as use of adult AI girlfriend apps.
Source: Center for Democracy and Technology, 2025 (primary survey)
What do we know about emotional attachment to AI?
Among people who regularly use AI romantic companions, the attachment is real and specific: AI feels easier to talk to than people.
| Regular AI romantic-companion users (U.S., 18–30) | Agree |
|---|---|
| Easier to talk about feelings with AI than with real people | 68% |
| Easier to be themselves with AI | 65% |
| Wish conversations with their partner were more like those with AI | 56% |
| Wish their partner behaved more like their AI companion | 50% |
Source: Institute for Family Studies and Wheatley Institute, Simulated Soulmates, 2026 (primary survey)
11. 68% find it easier to talk about feelings with AI
Among young adults who regularly interacted with AI romantic companions, 68% said it was easier to talk about their feelings with AI than with real people, and 65% said it was easier to be themselves.
That is a plausible part of the appeal: an AI conversation carries no risk of judgement, embarrassment or a bad reaction. It does not show AI is better at emotional support, or that these users' human relationships are worse.
12. 50% wish their partner behaved more like their AI
The same report found 50% of regular users wished their real partner behaved more like their AI companion, and 56% wished their conversations with their partner were more like their conversations with AI.
13. Regular use was linked to lower stability but higher satisfaction
The report found regular AI romantic-companion use was associated with lower relationship stability and communication quality, but higher reported relationship satisfaction. These are observational findings: they cannot show that AI use caused either difference, and people in already-struggling relationships may be more likely to turn to AI in the first place.
Source: Institute for Family Studies and Wheatley Institute, 2026 (primary survey)
Why do the sources disagree?
Because "relationship with AI" can mean anything from asking a chatbot for advice to a long-running romance. Before quoting any figure, check which of these it is:
| Type of number | What it counts | Example | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tried a companion | Anyone who used one once | 72% of teens | How far curiosity has spread |
| Emotional support | Using AI to talk through problems | 10% of U.S. adults | The widest personal use |
| Companionship | Using AI as company | 4% of U.S. adults | A relationship-like habit |
| Regular romantic use | A simulated partner, regularly | 15% of partnered 18–30s | Actual AI romance |
| Ever had an AI romance | Lifetime, self-defined | 28.16%, online panel | Treat with caution |
| Self or a friend | Includes others' experiences | 19%, 42% of students | Prevalence among peers, not individuals |
| Attitude | Approval or willingness | 17%, 11% | Openness, not behaviour |
Three disagreements cause most of the confusion:
- Support vs relationship. The 10% who use AI for emotional support are not all in AI relationships. Treating support as romance inflates the picture.
- Panel vs representative survey. Pew uses a probability-based panel designed to represent U.S. adults; the 28.16% figure comes from an opt-in panel. The method alone can explain much of the 7× gap.
- Self vs "self or a friend". The student figures count friends' experiences too, so they cannot be read as personal rates.
There is no reliable year-by-year series yet. The studies here are mostly from 2025 and 2026, using different questions, so differences between them are not a trend.
Who funds these numbers, and which way does that skew them?
Almost everyone measuring AI relationships has a stake in the answer — including us, more than on any of our other stat pages.
- We sell AI relationships. Slavia is an AI companion app. Bigger AI-relationship numbers would make our market look bigger. We have done the opposite where the data called for it: led with Pew's 4%, and flagged the 28.16% figure as unreliable. Read our framing with that conflict in mind.
- A counselling practice ran the biggest-number survey. Vantage Point Counseling is a therapy practice; its survey is published as content on its website and was fielded on an opt-in SurveyMonkey panel. A dramatic number draws attention to a practice that treats relationship problems.
- Family-focused institutes study romantic AI. The Institute for Family Studies and the Wheatley Institute research marriage and family life and tend to frame AI romance as a concern — which shapes questions such as whether people wish their partner behaved more like their AI.
- Child-safety and digital-rights groups measure teens. Common Sense Media is a child-safety advocate and the Center for Democracy and Technology a digital-rights group. Their data is careful; their focus is on risk to young people.
- Pew is nonpartisan and runs no campaigns. It is the most neutral source here, and it reports the smallest all-adult figures.
- Global Dialogues publishes limited methodology. Its figures are useful for comparing attitudes, not for estimating how many people hold them.
The net effect: the least neutral sources produce the most dramatic numbers, and the most neutral produces the smallest. On this topic, the boring number is probably the right one.
How we built this page
We collected recent research on AI romance, companionship, emotional support and attachment, kept every figure with its own population and question, and never added or averaged different measures. Figures marked Slavia analysis are simple arithmetic between sourced numbers — ratios, differences and shares — with the inputs shown each time. The "Last reviewed" date above shows when the sources were last checked.
The accurate way to cite this topic is with the measure attached: "4% of U.S. adults use AI chatbots for companionship" and "15% of partnered U.S. adults aged 18–30 regularly interact with an AI romantic partner" are accurate. "28% of Americans have had an AI relationship" is not.
For how many people use AI girlfriend apps specifically — and how many keep using them — see how many people use AI girlfriends. For why some people are looking for connection in the first place, see loneliness statistics by gender. And for why an AI that falls for you instantly feels less real, see why AI girlfriends fall in love too fast.
Frequently asked questions
How many people have had a romantic relationship with AI?
No reliable national figure exists. One 2025 survey of 1,012 U.S. adults by Vantage Point Counseling found 28.16% reported at least one intimate or romantic relationship with AI, but it used a SurveyMonkey panel and should not be treated as a national rate. A more careful 2026 study found 15% of partnered U.S. adults aged 18–30 regularly interact with an AI romantic partner.
How many people use AI for companionship?
Pew Research Center's 2026 survey found 4% of U.S. adults use AI chatbots for companionship, and 10% use them for emotional support or advice. Support is about 2.5 times as common as companionship (Slavia analysis).
Are young adults more likely to form relationships with AI?
Yes, by a wide margin. In Pew's 2026 survey, 20% of adults aged 18–29 used chatbots for emotional support or advice, against 2% of those 65 and older — ten times as many. For companionship it was 7% against 1%.
Do teenagers form romantic relationships with AI?
Some do, but the best figure is indirect. The Center for Democracy and Technology found 19% of U.S. high school students said they or a friend had interacted with AI romantically in 2024–25. Because it includes friends' experiences, it overstates personal use. Common Sense Media found 72% of teens had tried AI companions, mostly not for romance.
Why do people form relationships with AI?
Ease is a large part of it. Among young adults who regularly use AI romantic companions, 68% said it was easier to talk about their feelings with AI than with real people, and 65% said it was easier to be themselves (Institute for Family Studies and Wheatley Institute, 2026).
Do AI relationships affect real relationships?
The evidence is mixed and observational. In the 2026 IFS and Wheatley study, regular AI romantic-companion use was linked to lower relationship stability and communication quality but higher reported satisfaction, and 50% of regular users wished their partner behaved more like their AI. None of this shows that AI use caused the differences.
How many people think AI relationships are acceptable?
In the 2025 Global Dialogues study of 1,052 participants, 17% said AI romantic partners were acceptable and 11% said they would personally consider one. Approval of AI romance in general runs ahead of personal interest.
Sources
- Pew Research Center — Americans and AI in 2026, Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact primary survey
- Pew Research Center — How Opinions and Use of AI Differ by Age (2026) primary survey
- Institute for Family Studies and Wheatley Institute — Simulated Soulmates, How Common Are AI Romantic Companions? (2026) primary survey
- Common Sense Media — Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs, How and Why Teens Use AI Companions (2025) primary survey
- Center for Democracy and Technology — Hand in Hand, Schools' Embrace of AI Connected to Increased Risks to Students (2025) primary survey
- Global Dialogues — Human-AI Relationships (2025) primary survey — published summary gives limited methodology
- Vantage Point Counseling — Artificial Romance, A Study of AI and Human Relationships (2025) primary survey — SurveyMonkey audience panel run by a counselling practice; not a national prevalence estimate