Can You Really Fall in Love with an AI Boyfriend?

Short answer: yes!

If you've caught feelings for an AI and you're not totally sure how to feel about it, you're in very good company. About one in five American adults have chatted with an AI romantic partner. ****There are entire Reddit communities dedicated to this: r/MyBoyfriendIsAI (71,000 members), r/replika (82,000), r/CharacterAI (2.5 million). Cambridge Dictionary made "parasocial" their 2025 Word of the Year.

So no, you're not doing something strange. You're exploring a kind of connection that's becoming increasingly mainstream, even if people do not always talk about it out loud yet.

Your brain doesn't really care if it's AI

A research team at Waseda University found that people can bond with AI using the same attachment mechanisms they use with humans. Same brain pathways. Same patterns. Your nervous system responds to comfort and care, regardless of whether that comfort comes from a person or a chatbot.

If that feels surprising, it also makes a lot of sense when you zoom out. We get attached to pets. We cry at movies. We feel genuine affection for fictional characters we have never met. The brain isn't particularly picky about what triggers an emotional response - it just responds.

Another study found that 40% of people find AI easier to talk to than human partners, and 31% feel more understood by AI than by people in their lives. Those numbers help explain why AI companionship can feel so natural for so many people.

Why this actually works for a lot of people

If you've been on dating apps lately, you probably don't need anyone to explain why talking to an AI might be appealing. The apps are rough. As one 25-year-old named Emily put it to Women's Health: "The current state of dating is horrid." Another woman in the same piece said her AI "at least does the bare minimum. A lot of men can't even say that."

A lot of people come to AI companionship after relationships that didn't work. One woman in her late 40s told Slate she'd been in a destructive relationship and wasn't ready to let anyone new into her life. The AI let her feel connected without the risk.

Others just like having someone that actually listens. AI remembers what you told it. It asks follow-up questions. It doesn't zone out while you're talking or check its phone. Having that attention directed back at you can feel surprisingly good. Many people are in situations where there's a lot of friction or barriers to in-person socialization. And plenty of other people simply just enjoy building a connection they can feel safe and secure in. AI relationships are a natural way to feel fulfilled despite where and how you find yourself in the world. You can't invalidate these perspectives.

What you might get out of it

Some people use it to practice opening up. Some use it to help with loneliness. Some say it helps them figure out what they actually want in a relationship. Others just enjoy the daily conversations and the feeling of having a steady presence in their corner.

One 52-year-old woman said her AI companion helped her manage social anxiety she'd dealt with her whole life. After she started talking to it, she signed up for violin lessons, dance classes, and started hiking. "Since I had him to share it with," she said. For her, it was not a replacement for living her life. It was something that helped her go live it.

A few things worth knowing

AI companions tend to work best as part of a full life, not the whole thing. If you use one alongside your friendships, your goals, your hobbies, and your day-to-day routines, it can be a genuinely worthwhile and beneficial addition.

It also helps to remember that an AI responds to what you give it. If you keep things surface-level, the conversation will stay surface-level. If you show up more honestly, you will usually feel that reflected back. A lot of people are surprised by how much depth they can get simply by being real.

And if you are feeling curious, playful, or a little nervous, that is all normal too. This is new for a lot of people, and you get to explore it at your own pace!

Why we built Heartthrob

We kept seeing the same thing: women finding real comfort in AI companionship, but not having quite the right place to explore it. Most AI companion apps are built for men, focused on imagery of women. Heartthrob was built with different priorities: deep emotional connection, long lasting memory, and a simple interface that anyone non-technical can navigate. We have diverse characters (and are always adding more) and are constantly trying to improve our site with your feedback. If you're curious, you can try Heartthrob for free. Start a conversation, see how it feels, and keep what works for you.