I think I’d break up with my partner if they used ChatGPT

AI is … unfortunately everywhere. We have an AI curated summary for everything we look up on Google, we ask it for relationship advice, we use it to write dull work emails for us, we use it to think of a polite text to send to our neighbours when the music is too loud, but we still want to be on good terms with them.

At the same time, atleast to me, AI usage feels rather icky, which in all probability is rather stupid, considering it is already morphed into almost all of our internet usage. That isn’t to beginning talking about the environmental damage it causes.

It seems, however like not everyone is of the same opinion.

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People’s perspectives

Pallavi Mandal, 31, said, “I don’t really think using ChatGPT is problematic. I use AI sometimes, in moments where I feel a tad bit unsure of myself. I had to bike all the way from Saket to Gurgaon on a dreary, foggy winter morning, and it gave me the reassurance that I could do it. I had fun, it gave me the courage that I needed, and I was glad that I ended up going.”

Her boyfriend, a technology consultant uses it to analyse data and to speed up his work. His firm has its own specialised AI software. “I’d probably develop a slight distaste for him if he used it to complete daily tasks, but I think as long as you are using it for pragmatic reasons, it is a relatively good tool.

Quite a few people echo that sentiment. Unzila Rehman* states that the amount she liked her partner wouldn’t be remotely affected by the use of AI. “I think that’s rather idiotic. I don’t think it would impact anything.”

On the contrary, Hitasha* believes that constant reliance on AI for personal tasks like writing letters or grocery lists seems a bit ridiculous. “I feel like if they consistently use AI, they’re intellectually lazy. I also simply don’t think we are supposed to move that fast. It’s alright to take your time and mediate on things slowly and work around how things go. AI usage is a bit of a sore subject for me, and if I’m dating someone and they’re using ChatGPT for everything, I sort of … distance myself.”

The research

The Match/Kinsey Institute "Singles in America" study found that while 43% of AI-using singles use it to write profiles, nearly 50% of all singles consider AI-altered images a "hard line." Additionally, 39% of respondents stated they would oppose a partner using AI to help them maintain regular conversations. Research from the University of Cambridge (2024) and Hebrew University suggests an empathy gap. While AI is initially perceived as supportive, users often become disillusioned over time as they realise the interaction lacks genuine moral agency, leading to greater feelings of isolation than if they hadn't used the AI at all.

AI as a relationship counsellor

A study comparing relationship advice from ChatGPT against advice from human experts found that participants rated the AI-generated advice as more helpful and empathic. This is attributed to the AI's ability to remain neutral and avoid the overtly judgmental tone that humans sometimes inadvertently project.

“I’ve been struggling about dealing with whether or not I should end my long-term relationship,” says 25 year old Krishangi Rana. “I felt guilty confiding about how I feel with regard to my relationship to my friends and parents, like I’d be breaching my partner’s trust. ChatGPT really helped me evaluate my options.”

However, therapist Priyadeep Datta warns against using AI. “It’s almost okay to use AI to help mediate formal conversations, but to use it to help you take decisions about such major aspects of your life feels fairly risky. It is, after all a bot, unable to fully comprehend the meaning of what it is to be human.”

No matter what one’s stance is, we mustn’t forget that We are essentially the test subjects for a generative AI experiment — a technology unleashed without the friction of safeguards or the weight of regulation. Rather than fracturing amongst ourselves over the flaws and threats this tech creates, we must pivot our scrutiny toward the true architects of this environment. The focus belongs on the Big Tech billionaires who, from the safety of their ivory towers, are content to watch the fallout from behind the glass of the cage.