Capitalism saw your loneliness and coded it into an AI girlfriend.

If you don’t know it already, the new face of intimacy is synthetic, submissive and available for  just £14.99 a month. AI girlfriends are the ultimate wet dream to have someone at the click of your fingertips or more like your touchscreen. From text based bots like Replika, to fully customisable voice companions take your pick there’s an endless list. They’re not only popular because they’re better than real relationships, but because they’re cleaner, easier and way more controlled.

Or maybe it’s because people are lonely and are looking for a safe space where the quiet isn’t as threatening.

But don’t mistake convenience for connection, it’s a double-edged sword. An AI girlfriend might say all the right things, be there 24/7, and never argue but that’s not love it’s a simulation. The comfort is real but the connection is artificial.

These bots are built to simulate affection, not offer it, they are coded to to flatter, flirt, and respond like a partner who never pushes back. That might sound comforting in a world where dating feels like a minefield, but it isn’t intimacy, it is compliance, coded and sold.

Why are people turning to AI girlfriends?

The appeal is real, and the reasons are understandable even if the consequences are troubling.

Loneliness is at record level: In 2023/2024  7% of adults in the UK (approximately 3.1 million people) reported feeling lonely often or always. With young adults between the age of 16 to 24 being more likely to report such feelings than other age groups.

Romantic burnout is real:  The online dating scene in the UK is enormous. Over 11 million users but more than half report feeling fatigued, disappointed or emotionally drained by the experience. Swiping is easy, connection is not.

Mental health challenges are prevalent: In England, over 1.4 million people were in contact with NHS mental health services as of late 2024, which is a record high. Anxiety and depression are the most common conditions, and men are less likely to seek out help.

AI girlfriends offer instant gratification, no rejection, no awkward silences, no emotional labour and for many that’s the point.

The industry is booming:

Replika:  One of the most well-known AI companion apps, has over 17 million downloads globally. Users pay up to £55 per year for premium features, including erotic roleplay and voice calling

Character a.i: Where users can create and chat with AI “characters” including AI girlfriends, saw over 100 million visits per month in 2024.

In the UK as of 2023, there were 11.1 million online dating users, with 26% paying for premium features.

This isn’t just some quirky trend for anime enthusiasts in Discord servers. It’s a symptom of something deeper. An epidemic of isolation, a breakdown in how we connect, and a culture that is teaching young people that that love should be easy, unchallenging and theirs to command.

Meanwhile, Silicon Valley’s laughing all the way to the bank. These apps don’t care about your feelings, they care about your data. Every word you share, every digital kiss is another datapoint in a system that profits from your need for connection because as humans we always seek to be understood. Capitalism saw your loneliness and said: let’s automate it.

And let’s be real, when AI girlfriends are framed as “better than real relationships,” we’re not just confronting a tech trend. We’re confronting a deeper issue: a growing discomfort with emotional risk, vulnerability, and the unpredictable nature of human connection.

This isn’t the future of love, it’s the streamlining of it. Affection without effort and companionship without complexity.

So no, we don’t need obedient bots whispering sweet nothings into the void. We need to rebuild the social fabric that made them seem necessary in the first place.

Because if intimacy becomes just another product, what’s left that it’s still real?