Reimagining Desire: The Rise of AI Art and Virtual Companions

Metropolis was released in 1927, which was the first known film about AI (even though the term AI itself hadn’t been coined yet). Over the past century, countless science fiction movies and books have been made about AI. Today, some of these predictions are becoming a reality. 

One of the biggest ways that AI is changing our lives is by reshaping human desire. People are using AI to make images of beautiful women. They are also using AI to form relationships with AI companions through services like AI Girlfriend. For better or worse, AI is going to change romantic relationships forever. 

The Rise of AI Has a Profound Impact on Human Desire

AI technology has transformed our lives in ways we never imagined a couple of years ago. Here are a few ways that AI is influencing human desire.

AI Helps People Create Images of Beautiful People

Many people are using AI to create art, which is becoming more realistic every day. Earlier this year, a survey found 27% of people had seen AI art before. The survey found that 56% of people enjoyed AI art, while only 19% openly disliked it. That figure has probably increased significantly since then.

Many people are very impressed with the quality of art. One of the many reasons that people are using AI art is to create images of beautiful people to look at. Many of these images are made with prompts to create photorealistic content, which tend to work very well.

AI helps people create nearly perfect images of people they consider attractive. You can use different prompts to make images of subjects with their ideal body type, hair color, age, facial structure and other physical details. 

AI Allows People to Build Relationships with Virtual Companions

Many people are also using AI to form relationships with virtual humans. One in four men under the age of 35 have had an AI girlfriend before. More women are starting to have AI boyfriends as well.

There are many reasons that AI companions are becoming more popular:

• People can create AI companions that check all of their boxes. In real life, people have to compromise on things they are looking for, because it can be impossible to find someone that is perfect. This can be especially challenging for people with picky preferences. They can end up like the princess in the 19^th Century Grimm fairy tale King Thrushbeard, who rejects every suitor for small things and end up miserable and alone. They don’t have to make that choice with AI companions, since they can create a partner that is perfect all the way around. 
• AI companions can be good alternatives for people that have been in toxic relationships. They don’t have to worry about repeating these dangerous situations, since their AI partner will be safe and respectful.
• AI partners are great for people having trouble finding real relationships for various reasons. They may be the only option for people in very remote, rural communities with few possible suitors around. They can also be a good option for people with political or religious preferences that don’t align with their community.
• People can use AI companions to improve their social skills, so they can find other romantic partners more easily.

There are many reasons that AI companions are becoming more popular. Some pundits believe that the number of people in human relationships will decrease in the future, since they will see AI partners as better alternatives. This is why there are so many AI companion sites already. 

Will AI Art and AI Companions Be a Net Positive or Negative for Society?

AI technology is clearly changing human sexuality and romantic relationships. The real question is whether these changes are going to be positive or negative. In all likelihood, it will be a little of each. Here are some of the biggest ways that AI is changing human desire.

It Can Encourage People to Avoid Settling For Partners They Will Not Be Attracted To

One of the biggest reasons that people end up in unhappy relationships is that they settle for partners that don’t meet their needs. People that settled for partners they don’t find physically attractive can be just as unhappy as people that settle for partners that don’t meet their emotional needs.

People that use AI art and companion services may develop an appreciation for having high standards. They may be less likely to settle for companions they won’t be happy with.

But Their Standards May Be Unrealistic

Refusing to settle may be a good thing. However, there are instances when it is a problem. 

Some people may insist on having a perfect partner, because their AI companion or the people in their AI images were tailored to be exactly what they wanted. They may not accept the reality that they aren’t perfect themselves, so they can’t attract a flawless partner. They may end up being alone much longer as a result. 

AI Can Help People Learn to Attract Better Partners

A growing number of people are using AI to improve their social skills. This can make it easier for them to find their ideal partners down the road. This can keep them from having to settle for someone they won’t enjoy being with. This is one of the reasons that AI companions are becoming popular for people on the autistic spectrum. 

AI Can Encourage Objectification of the Opposite Sex

Society has had a problem with objectifying people, especially women, for a long time. This problem can become worse as more people use AI to create images of beautiful people that they will enjoy looking at. Since there isn’t a real person behind an AI image, people are more likely to look at the subject as an object. This mindset can bleed over into how they interact with real people. 

Human Desire Will Forever Be Shaped by Advances in AI

We can debate the impact that AI is going to have on human relationships and desire. However, it is clearly going to shape the way we look at the genders we are attracted to forever. We will just have to wait and see whether the impact will be a net positive or negative. It could easily go either way.