* 66% of people have used AI tools like ChatGPT as a form of marriage counselling
* Majority of people say that couples therapy isn’t an option due to the high cost, seeking cheaper alternatives
* Study conducted by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site
From unlocking your phone with face recognition to creating personalised playlists to match your listening habits, artificial intelligence is transforming the way we live, work and connect. Now, it seems people are turning to AI to fix their marriages.
According to recent research by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s leading married dating site, 66% of people have used AI tools like ChatGPT as a form of marriage counselling.
When it polled 2,000 of its members, 19% said they had been to couples therapy in a bid to salvage their relationship. Of those who said they’d never been to marriage counselling with their partner, 22% said they plan to do so in the future, whilst 62% said it’s too expensive for them to consider.
With the cost-of-living crisis still having a huge impact in the UK, people are looking to cut costs in all aspects of life, and it seems that now includes marriage counselling.
Sophie, 37 from London, a member of IllicitEncounters.com said, “I’ve been with my husband for nearly 12 years now and I absolutely adore him. He’s a highflier working in the City and after a promotion at work, the time we spent together became practically nonexistent. I’ve got an incredibly high sex drive, and I found myself constantly getting pushed back by my husband with the usual excuse of him being too tired, which brought me to breaking point.
In February, I heard everyone talking about ChatGPT and I started using it to ask mundane questions to see how reliable it was. Then, I thought I’d delve deeper to see if it could help with relationship advice.
Explaining my situation and sharing that I was considering having an affair, ChatGPT of course tried to sway me away from infidelity and emphasised how important communication is. So, one evening, I plucked up the courage to sit down with my husband and explained exactly how I felt.
Having told him how sexually unsatisfied and lonely I was, to my surprise, he suggested joining an affairs site to find someone who could give me what I needed, with just one rule: it had to be purely for sex, with no emotional attachment allowed.
My husband is fully aware that I use IllicitEncounters.com, so I wouldn’t really describe myself as having an affair, but I can’t tell you how positive an impact this has had on my marriage. We communicate so much better, there are no secrets between us, and our bond is stronger than ever.”
Sex and relationships expert for IllicitEncounters.com, Jessica Leoni, commented, “AI is being used in so many parts of our lives nowadays, and with the use of counselling and mental health AI-driven apps becoming increasingly common, it’s no surprise that people are now considering bots to save marriages.
When misunderstandings in relationships pop up, AI’s can be like a friend who steps in with a “Hey, have you considered this?” or “How about trying this?”. AI doesn’t get moody or hold grudges, it just lays out the facts and keeps emotions in check, exactly like a marriage counsellor.”
