Swipe right on AI: Understanding psychological profiles behind chatbot love

Abstract The emergence of AI chatbots capable of simulating intimate interactions has created new forms of romantic engagement. This study investigates the psychological profiles that predict individuals’ likelihood of forming romantic connections with AI chatbots. A sample of 650 participants completed measures of the Big Five personality traits and two distinct dimensions of loneliness—emotional and social loneliness. Using latent profile analysis (LPA), we identified four distinct psychological profiles that differed significantly in their rates of AI romantic experience. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that higher openness, lower extraversion, and greater emotional loneliness significantly predicted AI-mediated romantic involvement, whereas social loneliness was not a significant factor. These findings suggest that emotional needs and exploratory personality traits, rather than generalized feelings of isolation, critically shape the appeal of AI chatbot relationships.