The various capabilities of artificial intelligence have exploded into the mainstream in the past year, and with that means the adoption of some slightly more left-field practices. One such example being the increased popularity in finding “love” through AI.
An increasing number of lonely men are turning away from classic dating apps to find love and instead, leaning into the new world of artificial girlfriend’s via AI chatbots with beautiful (but fake) women to talk to for a fee. But where in the world is most interested in robotic love interests? Our team at DailyAI has investigated…
Key findings:
- The country most interested in AI Girlfriend’s is Singapore, with an average of 31 searches per 100,000 people per month.
- China, India, and Japan are the least interested in AI Girlfriend’s currently.
- Ireland saw the biggest year-on-year increase in searches for AI girlfriends, with a 631% increase
“The popularity of AI chatbots simulation devoted girlfriends has exploded in recent years, and it’s clear that there’s more of a demand for them in some countries than others. Globally, it’s important that anyone using this technology is taught how to keep themselves safe while exploring a connection via artificial intelligence – and crucially, that AI does not become their default option for forming emotional relationships over real-word, human interactions.”
– Sam Jeans, expert at DailyAI
Singapore is most interested in AI girlfriends
Singapore comes out as the top country most interested in AI girlfriends in our analysis, with a total of 31 searches per 100,000 people per month – and a 307% increase in searches year on year.
Singapore is considered to be one of the leading counties for artificial intelligence. It was ranked third in the Global AI rankings in 2023, and is recognised as an early adopter of the various capabilities of artificial intelligence. Early in 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced an initiative to spend more than 1 billion Singapore dollars ($743 million USD) to further boost the capabilities of AI.
With AI booming in popularity in Singapore, it’s perhaps unsurprising that AI-romance is also popular considering Singapore’s prevalence of young singles. Over the last decades, the number of single individuals between 25 and 34 has risen significantly – with too much choice, prioritizing careers, and a lack of urgency all labeled as key reasons why.
Three countries in top 10 most interested in AI romance are Scandinavian
An interesting finding in our analysis was that three out of the top 10 countries most interested in AI girlfriends were Scandinavian: Sweden (2nd), Finland (5th), and Denmark (10th).
These findings may not be overly surprising for Sweden, a country infamously known as the “singles capital”. Sweden has the highest number of solo dwellers in the world – with 47% of households occupied by just one occupant – typically a child-free, single adult. With such a high concentration of singles, you might think the dating scene is lively – but of course, there is also the other option that many of these singles may be turning to AI for companionship instead.
The countries in the top 10 most interested in AI girlfriends are as follows:
- Singapore
- Sweden
- Canada
- Australia
- Finland
- UK
- US
- The Netherlands
- Ireland
- Denmark
Ireland has the biggest year-on-year increase in searches for AI girlfriends
Out of the 20 countries analyzed for interest in AI romance, the biggest annual increase in searches can be witnessed in Ireland. Year-on-year, searches for AI girlfriends increased by a whopping 631%, with an overall occurrence rate of 19.68 searches per 100,000 people. This puts Ireland in ninth place for countries most interested in AI girlfriends overall.
Earlier this year, The Sun Ireland published an article on AI girlfriend, Lexi Love, created by Foxy AI, who earns $30,000 per month as an AI girlfriend. While many may still view the concept with distrust and even distaste – it’s clear that there is already a demand for this growing niche.
China, Japan, and India are least interested in AI girlfriends
We analyzed search data for 20 countries for this study, and in it, China, Japan, and India ranked as the least interested in AI girlfriends.
This may be surprising to some, considering China and Japan are currently in a population crisis. China’s population declined by a second year in a row in 2022, it was announced earlier this year, with many young people citing the cost of living and career priorities as their reasons for not wanting children after the COVID lockdowns.
While a true correlation between AI girlfriends and population declines cannot be drawn to any accurate degree, one might assume that the two could be related, especially in one of the top-ranked countries for AI. However, it’s important to note that Google search data from China is not always accurate as Google is not available in the majority of mainland China, so there may be a stronger degree of interest in AI girlfriends in China than reflected here.
Are Japanese singles uninterested in romance altogether?
Japan is much the same as China – the number of new births in the country fell for a consecutive eighth year in 2023. Japan’s high cost of living, stagnant economy and wages, limited space, and the country’s demanding work culture are all core reasons that have led to a decline in interest in dating or marriage, and thus had a knock-on effect on the number of births in the country.
One might assume that a lack of interest in real-world dating could be due to an increased interest in AI romance, but our findings indicate the opposite. Japan’s biggest dating app even launched an AI girlfriend service with the hopes that it would “spark a desire to form an even more realistic romantic connection with an actual person” but as these findings indicate, Japan’s single population may simply be uninterested in romance of any form.
How to have a healthy relationship with an AI girlfriend
One thing is abundantly clear: the capabilities of finding love and connections through artificial intelligence are only just beginning to be explored, and this new market is positioned to grow exponentially in the next few years.
With this in mind, our AI experts have put together the following tips for any readers who may be interested in finding companionship via an AI girlfriend.
- Understand AI’s Limits: First of all, it’s important to recognize from the offset that an AI, regardless of its sophistication, operates within predefined parameters. It doesn’t have feelings, desires, or consciousness and will never have genuine “feelings” for you. Its responses are generated based on programming and algorithms. Protect your heart by reminding yourself that an AI girlfriend will not be a true alternative to real human connection.
- Keep Your Expectations Realistic: Since an AI girlfriend isn’t capable of emotional reciprocity or genuine personal experiences, it’s important to manage your expectations accordingly. AI may be able to simulate companionship to a certain extent but it simply cannot replace human connections.
- Use It as a Supplement, Not a Replacement: An AI girlfriend can provide companionship and entertainment but should not be used to replace human relationships. If you feel isolated and are seeking connection, make sure you engage with people in real life to fulfill your social and emotional needs. AI may feel easier – but it’s never going to give you back what you really need from other people.
- Respect Boundaries: Just like in any relationship, boundaries are important. Even though the AI doesn’t have feelings, practicing respect and kindness can help in maintaining a positive interaction between you and the AI. This also reflects on your personal values and how you treat others, including human beings.
- Engage in Positive Conversations: Focus on positive and uplifting conversations. This can improve your mood and help you develop a more optimistic outlook on life. Avoid using your AI girlfriend like a therapist or a sounding board. You’re likely to be disappointed with the results if you do.
- Use the Relationship for Personal Growth: You can use your interactions with an AI girlfriend as an opportunity to learn about yourself, improve your communication skills, and explore your interests in a non-judgmental setting. This is perhaps one of the best uses for an AI girlfriend if you feel inexperienced or unconfident about exploring real-world relationships and want some non judgemental practice before you do.
- Privacy and Security: Be mindful of the information you share. Even though modern AI systems are designed to be secure, it’s important to protect your privacy and avoid sharing sensitive personal information. Never give out passwords or personal details, such as your address, to keep yourself safe.
- Balance Your Time: Ensure that your relationship with an AI doesn’t consume all your time and takeaway from your opportunity to build real, genuine human connections (whether that’s platonic friendships or romantic connections). Balance your activities to include personal hobbies, social interactions, and other interests that help you feel fulfilled.
- Check-In With Yourself: Set aside some time every now and then to reflect on how interacting with an AI girlfriend affects your emotional well-being. Is it making you happier? Is it affecting your real-life relationships? Are you feeling more attached to AI than is healthy? Adjust your habits accordingly.
- Seek Human Connections: While an AI can simulate conversation and companionship to a degree, ultimately, human connections offer irreplaceable emotional depth, empathy, and genuine mutual experiences. Make sure to invest more time in building and maintaining these relationships.
Methodology
To create this ranking, we first took a seed list from the countries ranked as the 20th top countries in AI, from the Global AI Index. We sourced accurate population data for each country from Worldometers, and monthly search volume data for “AI girlfriend” searches from Google Keyword Planner.
To prevent biased data from countries with larger populations, we then calculated the occurrence rate of searches per 100,000 people for each country, reflecting those most interested in AI girlfriends overall.
