In relationships, these cyber cues can change how people think about intimacy and the communication we expect in our IRL couplings. 25% of respondents say that interacting frequently with AI-generated individuals ended up changing their quality of life because “it’s easy to form an attachment, and when you do so it creates a norm — not just in what technology can bring into your romantic sphere but also the fact that our partners might have unfulfillable expectations.” AI characters provide many of these users with a guaranteed source of empathy and understanding: Too-big shoes to fill that no amount compassion from friends or family can make up for at times.
When left to its own devices interacting with people for long periods of time, AI will develop highly intense attachment behaviors reflective from those typically found in human relationships. In any case, the real takeaway of this is parasocial interaction—aka "one-sided emotional bonds," with robot characters that can change what people expect out of their IRL relationships. According to studies, more than 30% of regular AI users even describe their digital exchanges as emotionally enriching and that they have an effect on how often they respond to friends or partners.
Digital psychologists, such as Sherry Turkle argue that “AI relationships provide controlled environments in which people can experience an illusion of control and predictability not possible with real human beings.” Still, think of that control may well bleed over into matters where such spontaneity (think downed pelicans on beaches) and complexity are the norm — in real life. Such insights dovetail with industry reports signaling the power of AI in transforming relationships and an increasing sophistication for simulating empathy or understanding among next-level AIs.
The platforms using nsfw character ai show distinct behaviors from the variety of users. A study last year on AI character use found 60% of respondents were more comfortable sharing personal topics with an artificial intelligence-driven bot than they would be their other halves as the responses are often programmed to avoid negative interactions and stay positive. This points toward a possible evolution where AI engagements change the way people communicate, leading users to favor speaking with machines over having uncomfortable conversations with human partners.
NSFW Character AI embodies that difficulty: often able to provide emotional support, but an active part of relationship drama in the real world.