Why More People Are Turning to AI for Dating and Relationship Advice
From breakup texts to decoding mixed signals, more people are turning to artificial intelligence for help navigating their love lives.
Rachel, from Sheffield, says she first used ChatGPT to polish her CV but soon sought its guidance for a difficult conversation with a man she’d been dating. “I was distressed and didn’t want friends involved,” she told the BBC. “It felt like a cheerleader on my side.”
She’s not alone. According to dating firm Match, almost half of Generation Z Americans say they’ve used large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT for dating advice — more than any other generation. People use AI to craft breakup messages, analyse text exchanges, or resolve conflicts.
Psychologist Dr Lalitaa Suglani says AI can help people pause and reflect before reacting, similar to journalling. But she warns it can also “subtly validate dysfunctional patterns” or encourage avoidance. Relying on AI for every emotional dilemma, she says, risks outsourcing your own intuition and making communication feel scripted.
Start-ups are racing to fill the gap. Mei, a free AI-powered relationship advice app founded by Es Lee in New York, handles thousands of intimate queries — over half about sex, a topic many avoid discussing with friends or therapists. Lee says Mei has built-in guardrails, discards conversations after 30 days, and collects minimal personal data. “We welcome professionals to partner with us to shape our AI,” he says.
OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, says its models are designed to avoid unhealthy emotional reliance and to guide users to professional help where needed.
Some users blend AI with human therapy. Corinne, from London, uses ChatGPT for dating advice “in the style” of her favourite relationship experts while seeing a therapist for deeper issues. “It’s good when a friend isn’t around. It calms me down,” she says — but she keeps “a bit of distance” from the answers.
As AI becomes more personal, experts warn that its advice can soothe, but also steer people away from honest self-reflection and human connection.
