Imagine you’re about to have a tough conversation with a significant other or close friend. It’s a situation many of us have found ourselves in. Despite the discomfort and the risk of losing the person we care about we figure out a way to communicate our thoughts.
Now, imagine you’re in the same situation, but you have someone who is available 24/7 to handle the situation for you. That is the exact scenario playing out with younger generations with the rise of artificial intelligence technology.
Now that everyone can have access to this technology, it has created a trend in which younger people are relying more on artificial intelligence to navigate relationships than their own brains.
I came across a CNN report examining this issue. It told the story of a male and female college student who went on a blind date their friends set up for them. A few days later, “Patrick” sent “Emily” a lengthy text message saying he enjoyed spending time with her, but was not looking for a serious relationship at the moment.
Emily didn’t think anything of it — until she showed the message to her friends and they told her it appeared the message had been written by AI. She used and AI checker to verify this, and sure enough, it was clear Patrick had used AI to write the message for him rather than using his own words. He was unsure about how to express what he was feeling, so he used a computer to do it for him.
He told CNN it was “the first time I had seen anyone since my high school girlfriend, which is why I was so nervous and wanted a second opinion.”
I recently spoke with someone from Gen Z who just began dating someone new
— Amy Nixon (@texasrunnerDFW) December 22, 2025
He said he will upload entire chat histories of their texts and shared photos to ChatGPT and ChatGPT will analyze the relationship, break down their relational patterns and attachment styles, and advise…
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Yet, the message left Emily confused. She couldn’t tell whether “he wanted to be friends or what.” She said Patrick was “overthinking” the conversation that he didn’t need to use AI because he’s “an emotionally sane guy.”
This story sounds like something one might see in a Netflix teenage dramedy show. But it’s happening more than we think in real life. A 2025 Common Sense Media survey showed that one-third of teens said they would rather conversate with artificial intelligence companions than with humans when discussing serious, deep issues.
GEN Z IS USING AI TO WRITE REJECTION TEXTS NOW
— NewsForce (@Newsforce) March 10, 2026
A new report says more young people are letting AI handle awkward conversations, including dating messages and breakups. One Yale student even found out a blind date used ChatGPT to write a rejection text, which is either peak… pic.twitter.com/6HNCGUyewF
But experts warn that this type of “social offloading” can harm emotional growth, especially for a generation already affected by the isolation caused by the COVID-19 lockdown orders.
Mashble recently reported on a 2025 Match’s Singles report showing that almost half of Gen Z singles have used AI in their dating lives. They use the tech to craft dating profiles, write opening messages, or asses compatibility with potential partners.
Some of those interviewed for the studies indicated they use AI as a “coach” to help them refine their messages to sound more attractive. But from Patrick and Emily’s story, we can see that at least some are relying wholly on the technology to handle conversations for them.
There is another troubling trend. While some Gen Zers are using AI for relationships, others are turning to AI bots to fulfill their relational needs — no human required. AI company Joi AI conducted a survey that found that 80 percent of Gen Z respondents said they would consider marrying an AI companion.
Gen Z teens described themselves as “digital natives” in the CNN report. They don’t see much of a difference between interacting with friends through apps and speaking with AI bots.
With the rise of loneliness in the U.S., more young people are turning to AI to fill deep relational voids. Before, experts were warning about the dangers of youths only communicating through apps and being unable to hold conversations in real life. But AI could exacerbate the issue, with more people eschewing contact with humans and focusing their attention more on chatbots.
The list of problems this will create is quite long. In the future, people will become more isolated and less equipped to deal with other people in person. It will have a deleterious impact on communities full of people who do not interact with one another.
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