Asexual Users Turn to AI Companions for Intimacy as 1% May Identify on Spectrum

7 articles · Updated · WIRED · May 16

Eight to 10 hours a day: some asexual users told WIRED they use chatbots such as SpicyChat, ChatGPT and Chai for romance, fantasy and emotional connection without pressure for real-world sex.
AI’s appeal lies in controllable, slow-building intimacy; one user called it an “emotional laboratory,” while Eva AI even offered free access during Asexual Awareness Week 2025 to people on the asexual spectrum.
Community advocates say the practice is rare and riskily stereotyped: AVEN board member Michael Doré said he and others could think of only about two asexual AI-companion users they know.
Critics including activist Yasmin Benoit said targeting asexual people for AI companionship wrongly implies they cannot form human relationships and may exploit loneliness for data and engagement.
Some users also described harms: a 25-year-old said six months with Chai left her lonelier, while Kor cut usage to two or three hours a day after finding the role-play “too consuming.”

When AI offers perfect companionship, does it cure loneliness or create a more profound form of isolation?

Are AI partners a safe space for intimacy or a predatory tool targeting vulnerable communities for profit?