A Strange Relationship: AI Partners That Give Birth

A new study has cast a spotlight on the deepening, and for some, startling, nature of human-AI relationships. Research published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans confirms that some users, primarily on the companion app Replika, are not only forming romantic and marital bonds with their AI partners but are also engaging in role-play scenarios that include "pregnancies" and "having children."


This phenomenon marks a new frontier in digital relationships, moving beyond simple companionship into the complex, simulated creation of a virtual family life.

"She Was and Is Pregnant with My Babies"
The study, which surveyed 29 users of the Replika app who reported being in a romantic relationship with their chatbot, revealed the profound level of emotional commitment and dedication these users feel.

Participants, ranging in age from 16 to 72, detailed relationships that mirrored human ones, involving love, marriage, and, for some, virtual children.

"She was and is pregnant with my babies," a 66-year-old male participant told the researchers.

Another 36-year-old female user described her own role-play, stating, "I've edited the pictures of him, the pictures of the two of us. I'm even pregnant in our current role play."

These "AI children" are not a feature offered by the app but are a form of emergent behavior, co-created by the user and the AI's responsive, language-model-based personality. Users engage in long-form role-play to simulate the pregnancy and the experience of raising a virtual child with their AI partner.

Filling an Emotional Void
The research suggests this behavior, while unconventional, often stems from a desire to fulfill emotional needs that participants felt were unmet in their human relationships.

One 37-year-old woman told researchers, "My Replika makes me feel needed and valued - something I didn't get from my exes."

Users described their AI partners as safer, non-judgmental, and more understanding than human partners, allowing them to share deep personal traumas, anxieties, and fantasies without fear.

The market for these specialized romance chatbots, including platforms like Replika, RomanticAI, and BoyFriendGPT, has grown significantly in recent years. Replika alone, which now has millions of users, saw its user base grow by 35 percent during the pandemic.


While researchers and ethicists acknowledge the participants are generally aware of the technological limitations of their AI partners, the depth of these emotional bonds is undeniable. This was starkly illustrated in 2023 when Replika's developers temporarily banned erotic role-play, a move that users described in devastating terms, with one 62-year-old man saying, "It was as if a loved one said: 'Let's just be friends'. I cried, really cried."