Overview

• 370,000 Irish adults engaged in romantic relationships with AI chatbots over the past 12 months, and another 12% say they might pursue such connections.
• 13% of men versus 7% of women have had AI chatbot romances, with the 25–34 age group reporting the highest adoption at 16%.
• Twenty percent of respondents view AI partnerships as less complicated than human ones, and 10% see them as practice for real-life relationships.
• Beyond romance, 18% use chatbots for health research and 10% turn to them for therapy and life advice.
• Experts forecast rising AI companionship among older and rural residents facing isolation due to bereavement, divorce or social circumstances.