Forget ghosting your ex \u2013 young Aussies are increasingly ghosting humans altogether, with almost one in five admitting to ditching real life partners for AI bots.<\/p>\n
Body+Soul\u2019s Sex Census 2026 found two in five Australians were open to swapping human intimacy for software, with 17 per cent admitting to already having done so. Gen Z \u2013 those aged between 14 and 29 \u2013 led the charge with almost one in three in a \u201crelationship\u201d with a bot.<\/p>\n
The survey \u2013 which interviewed more than 2100 sexually active Australians across the country \u2013 found more than one in 10 admitted to cheating in the past year, with more men guilty of being unfaithful.<\/p>\n
It also found an increasing number of people are also turning to artificial intelligence to help with not only finding a date but for relationship advice once in one.<\/p>\n
A third (31 per cent) of those dating said they have used AI to \u201coptimise\u201d their bios, while almost one in three admitted to turning to chatbots to craft replies or get advice on what to say.<\/p>\n
The trend has prompted relationship experts to warn that effortless virtual relationships with bots come at a grim psychological cost. <\/p>\n
\u201cAI is trained to be on our side and empathise and can be there 24\/7,\u201d couples therapist and sexologist Isiah McKimmie told news.com.au. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have to learn how to regulate our own emotions and to really attend to the needs of someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms McKimmie said nor does AI teach people how to \u201ccompromise when we perhaps disagree or see something differently\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the same way we don\u2019t have to attend to someone else\u2019s needs, we also don\u2019t need to be vulnerable ourselves, because AI isn\u2019t going to reject us or find someone else,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven when we\u2019re sharing some of our innermost thoughts and feelings, it lacks the vulnerability \u2026 you can\u2019t feel rejected when you\u2019re engaging with technology in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms McKimmie warned the seemingly hassle free pursuit of intimacy could amplify the very isolation people are trying to escape.<\/p>\n
She said it can cut people off from authentic relationships and communities that major studies have proved support longevity and wellbeing.<\/p>\n
Professional matchmaker Lauren Hunter said the robotic partners were not made for human relationships. <\/p>\n
\u201cAI is available 24\/7. It doesn\u2019t reject you. It doesn\u2019t ghost you, it doesn\u2019t breadcrumb you or love bomb you,\u201d Ms Hunter said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t have baggage from its last relationship. It can remember what you like, validate you and communicate exactly how you want it to \u2026 that is also the problem.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cDating is not about finding someone who responds perfectly to you every time. It\u2019s about learning how to connect with another imperfect human being,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Despite the rise in AI partners and broken dating culture, the experts remained confident that technology could never replace human connection. <\/p>\n
Both Ms Hunter and Ms McKimmie urged people looking for someone to share their heart and bed with to break the cycle of digital isolation. <\/p>\n
Ms McKimmie said relational confidence was \u201creally a skill that we practice\u201d, advising people to invest in face-to-face friendships and socialising beyond just dating. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think really building multiple relationships in our lives, and in particular, building community \u2026 can take us away from feeling like we need to turn to technology to get those needs met,\u201d Ms McKimmie said. <\/p>\n
Ms Hunter, who has helped many find love, also urged daters to get out there. <\/p>\n
\u201cEnough with the talking and the texting, get in front of people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTry not to be lonely and isolated, sitting in your room doom scrolling and watching other people live their best lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Hunter said while AI could be helpful in the initial stage of dating, people should tread carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cAI can help someone articulate themselves better, spot patterns in their communication, or stop them from sending an emotional 2am message they\u2019ll regret,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019d be careful \u2026. If AI writes every bio, every opening line and every response, eventually the person you\u2019re presenting isn\u2019t really you,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Forget ghosting your ex \u2013 young Aussies are increasingly ghosting humans altogether, with almost one in five admitting…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":598704,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[295101,295055,295092,9055,295085,15140,198793,39725,295105,295083,295071,295082,291304,295091,1665,365,117189,295107,64865,295074,295123,295081,295065,363,364,295069,87098,214840,1556,295113,18327,295118,24369,4035,55902,295103,2396,295072,295079,295060,295075,295077,295078,295114,295106,295073,1668,3106,164949,295080,295084,99400,5962,89855,295095,2882,295088,295066,295057,295104,222307,295089,295068,295062,111,265357,139,69,295094,21312,295099,273977,295111,295063,143,384,295086,295109,12458,197123,255164,295115,8183,277178,295096,295070,145,295087,282272,265293,295116,295064,295112,295053,295054,277155,295120,295102,295121,295067,295119,295117,295098,295122,295076,295110,295108,295100,295097,295093,295059,1142,295061,295090,295058,209481,295056],"class_list":["post-598703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-artificial-intelligence","tag-s-needs","tag-s-sex-census-2026","tag-1-in-5-young-aussies","tag-9055","tag-14-and-29","tag-15140","tag-24-7","tag-39725","tag-a-bot-the-survey","tag-a-date","tag-a-grim-psychological-cost","tag-a-quiet-shift","tag-a-relationship","tag-a-skill","tag-advice","tag-ai","tag-ai-bots","tag-ai-partners","tag-alarm","tag-almost-one","tag-an-emotional-2am-message","tag-an-increasing-number","tag-another-imperfect-human-being","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-artificialintelligence","tag-authentic-relationships-and-communities","tag-baggage","tag-bodysoul","tag-bomb","tag-both-ms-hunter-and-ms-mckimmie","tag-bots","tag-building-community","tag-cent","tag-chatbots","tag-cheating","tag-couples-therapist-and-sexologist-isiah-mckimmie","tag-culture","tag-daters","tag-digital-isolation","tag-effortless-virtual-relationships","tag-every-bio","tag-every-opening-line","tag-every-response","tag-every-time","tag-face-to-face-friendships","tag-five-australians","tag-front","tag-gen-z","tag-human-connection","tag-human-intimacy","tag-human-partners","tag-human-relationships","tag-humans","tag-intimacy","tag-its-last-relationship","tag-love","tag-major-studies","tag-more-men","tag-more-than-2100-sexually-active-australians","tag-more-than-one","tag-ms-hunter","tag-ms-mckimmie","tag-multiple-relationships","tag-new-survey","tag-new-zealand","tag-news-com-au","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-one-a-third","tag-other-people","tag-our-innermost-thoughts-and-feelings","tag-our-lives","tag-our-own-emotions","tag-our-side-and","tag-partners","tag-people","tag-real-life-partners","tag-relational-confidence","tag-relationship-advice","tag-relationship-experts","tag-replies","tag-sexms-hunter","tag-software","tag-someone-else","tag-spot-patterns","tag-support-longevity-and-wellbeing-professional-matchmaker-lauren-hunter","tag-technology","tag-that-way","tag-the-charge","tag-the-country","tag-the-cycle","tag-the-experts","tag-the-initial-stage","tag-the-needs","tag-the-past-year","tag-the-person","tag-the-prizems-mckimmie","tag-the-problem-sera-shares","tag-the-rise","tag-the-robotic-partners","tag-the-same-way","tag-the-seemingly-hassle-free-pursuit","tag-the-talking","tag-the-texting","tag-the-very-isolation-people","tag-the-vulnerability","tag-their-best-lives","tag-their-bios","tag-their-communication","tag-their-heart-and-bed","tag-those-needs","tag-trend","tag-useful-tips","tag-young-aussies","tag-your-dating-profile","tag-your-ex","tag-your-room"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=598703"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598703\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/598704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=598703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=598703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=598703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}