Could Dating an AI Be Better Than Dating a Human?
Live debate now streaming on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and OpentoDebate.org.
Topics: Tech, Culture
Public Release Date: June 10, 2025
Is the love of your life… ChatGPT?
People who have either found dating in our world more challenging or are feeling lonelier than ever are turning to AI chatbots to fill the void and find romance and companionship. To them, it is a new opportunity to experience those feelings without judgment or encountering rejection. As romantic love increasingly straddles the digital and physical realms, could AI companionship rival, or even surpass, traditional human connection? Some in favor of traditional relationships argue that real intimacy can’t be coded, and that love is evolutionary, complicated, and deeply human. Meanwhile, proponents of dating a bot say that AI can offer empathy, safety, and a new kind of connection, especially for those left out of traditional dating.
With this context, we debate the question: Could Dating an AI Be Better Than Dating a Human?
ARGUING YES:
Thao Ha: PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the HEART Lab at Arizona State University
ARGUING NO:
Justin R. Garcia: Executive Director & Senior Scientist at the Kinsey Institute; Chief Scientific Advisor to Match.com
GUEST MODERATOR:
Nayeema Raza: Journalist and Host of "Smart Girl Dumb Questions"