It all comes down to the way in which users interface with sex ai, and whether or not those interactions are helpful for mental health. For one, it gives an outlet for users to have emotional conversations about bearing intimate feelings without the fear of judgement; which can enable juniors think more on their terms and reduce sense alienation. Surveys in Psychology Today of 2023 demonstrated that "around" 58% announced a transient improvement in temperament after associations with conversational AI, which recommends open commitment from non-judgemental parties can be positive for psychological wellness. This type of interaction could then act as a stop-gap for those unable to get their hands on more immediate mental health support, such as in underprovided areas.
But we run into trouble when our dependence on sex AI gets in the way of actually being with other people, or if users come to prefer its ceaseless availability and responsiveness to real-world connections. In fact, a recent study published in the Journal of Internet Research found that 30% of people who chat frequently with AI have shown less interest on their offline relationships which signals fewer social skills. However, psychologist Sherry Turkle has warned that “AI can create an illusion of intimacy without the demands and limits of human relations… people are modeling to themselves a new form” with another AI emphasizing ease as potentially fungible resistance training in real world relationships.
These privacy risks also impact our mental health, as getting personal with your AI assistant relies on the notion that you can trust they will not violate private information. Privacy issues have made 42 percent of users feel anxious about their personal data being stored that could potentially be seized unlawfully—a report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Overall companies do manage to reduce this by leveraging the encryption and data anonymization which can increase operational cost up-to 25% but is necessary for users to trust a company. Users who play these games with their privacy protections in place can be anxious about the exposure of this information.
And AI empathy, while programmed as non-judgmental, can also create unusual or challenging expectations for real world relationships. In the long-term, if AI is providing personalised and empathetic interactive responses throughout a users journey they are going to begin expecting this of human engagements. In 2022, lawmakers cited a study by Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab: The empathetic programming of AI gave rise to an array of unrealistic expectations in 34.5% percent as Spira and Jha described it that alter human interactions — for the worse[1].
on the one hand, sex ai could serve as a positive outlet for mental health if used in a safe environment — it would be no less (in fact probably more) harmful or awkward than looking up some esoteric porn video on your phone when you are home by yourself. however, this also has potential to do damage towards our cognitive abilities and social skills- raising questions about privacy & relationship expectations from both sides of the performance spectrum into what comprises normal behavior behind closed doors within society’s new “liberated” era that gave rise after all these decades while tuned out… Respect of principles and recognization that using AI to balance misuse in general with limitations on the mental-health-framework should be critical.