Digital technology has played a significant role in shaping the future of human romance. Most people had heard about the concept of online dating around the beginning of the century, but few people took it seriously back then. It wasn’t until around 2013 that swipe apps started becoming popular and online dating became mainstream. One survey from last year found that 53% of people under the age of 30 reported that they had used a dating app before.

However, many people are shifting away from dating apps and considering using AI chatbots for romantic relationships instead. There are a number of reasons that many people are making this switch, including issues pertaining to harassment and assault.

One famous university in Utah published a report two years ago showing that people that meet their partners through dating apps are more likely to be sexually assaulted than those that met through other means. Since most people meet online these days, this means that dating is more dangerous than it used to be. This is one of the many reasons that chatbots have become better alternatives for many people seeking romantic connections than online dating apps.

However, there are still some concerns that need to be taken into consideration. This emotional AI chat platform does a great job providing emotional support to users, but not all AI relationship sites do so. New companies in this sector need to be aware of these concerns and take them seriously.

Companies need to recognize the responsibility that they have to look out for the needs of their customers. Some of the biggest issues are listed below.

They Must Make Sure That the Emotional Impact Will Be Positive

People often use chatbots for romantic conversations to help them process their emotional needs. These AI services have the potential to be beneficial or harmful. One AI service recently got a lot of bad publicity after a young user followed its advice to commit self-harm.

Of course, not all of the AI services have negative impacts on people’s emotions. Some surveys have found that the majority of people using these services said that they helped them feel happier and reduce feelings of depression.

The outcomes heavily depend on how well the AI system is designed and whether the architects have controls in place to make sure that they provide helpful, wholesome services to their users. Fortunately, most of these services recognize their role in shaping people’s emotions and take this responsibility seriously.

They Must Prove that They Teach Helpful Views About Consent

A growing number of people have started there are concerns about the potential harms of AI. One survey found that only 23% of people trust how social media companies use AI technology. It is likely that they have similar concerns about the use of AI for romantic conversations unless they have tried them and had positive experiences.

In addition to prioritizing the emotional well-being of their immediate users, they have to show that they are beneficial to society as a whole. One of the most important things that they need to do is show that they can teach helpful views on consent. Fortunately, many AI relationship services have been addressing this issue. They are implementing safeguards to encourage users to treat their AI companions respectfully, which is important for teaching young people about consent and respect in human relationships.

They Must Not Be Designed to Be Overly Addictive

Another concern that many people have raised is that AI relationship services can be highly addictive. These services can be beneficial for people’s mental health when used in moderation, but they can lead to feelings of depression, isolation and anxiety when people use them too much. As with any addiction, this can cause problems with their careers and interpersonal relationships.

AI relationship services should be designed to make sure that they are not too addictive. They might benefit from encouraging people to have time constraints and give them feedback on improving real life relationships. This can help make sure that they are a net positive to people’s lives instead of worsening their mental health issues.

They Must Be Secure Against Data Breaches

Data security is another huge concern that many people have these days. The number of people affected by data breaches has continued to grow every single year.

The problems that people will face if their data is breached when using an AI relationship service are even higher than with most other businesses. Many people share some of their most intimate fantasies on these platforms. They discovered the hard way what can happen if they were compromised last September. The emails of over 1.9 million people using a popular AI girlfriend service were released and hackers threatened to reveal people’s fantasies. Users were reportedly extorted as a result.

Fortunately, it is possible to minimize the risk of something like this happening by using end-to-end encryption and other safeguards. However, these services will need to properly implement this technology to avoid these issues.