Lately, we have seen a great deal of interest in sex AI helping people to feel confident about themselves and better match with their intimacy or communication skills. The seeds of this hope were planted by the 2022 The Journal of Psychology and Sexuality study showing that, despite feeling shame in initial considerations only half saw improvements with regular engagement. Such platforms provide a safe playground for people to test their limits and learn tricks of the trade that skyrockets their confidence when faced with similar situations in reality.
In the case of sex AI, however, an emphasis on customization and personalized feedback is likely also necessary to encourage user enrollment in such applications. The sex AI industry invested more than $100 million on research in 2023 to create knowledge AIs that are responsive and emotionally intelligent. This is built to give feedback in real-time that can help users navigate those challenging places – how we communicate socially and intimately, so the way it sort of unlocks their progress provides an irl sensation of achievement which resonates with more confidence. This concept is referred to as virtual reinforcement and it signifies how favorable interactions with AI can greatly influence the actions of users in real life.
Game designer and futurist Jane McGonigal says, “The best games help us to become the best possible version of ourselves.” The same concept relates to sex AI in that allows users to work on self-image and emotional intelligence. For most people, practicing conversations or intimate scenarios with AI can help them understand their feelings better and therefore reduce stress levels while working on confidence building.
But some experts doubt that can last. A report this year from The Guardian was wary that using AI to provide feedback could result in users having their real-world confidence eroded as the remit of AI is so simple when compared with human emotions and social dynamics. Although 60% of users felt more confident in controlled situations, only 35 would say the same about face-to-face. The fact that there remains a gap here reveals that while sex AI can do some quick and dirty jolts of happy, the kind one gets from lots o’ use (if not abuse) over time might still be relative to user habits.
But as the sex AI market expands — it is projected to swell to $1.8 billion by 2026 — expect more debates about its role in feelings of poor self-esteem and representations of an ideal beauty standard for women vs men, respectively. Personally, there are very few risks compared to the rewards of learning communication and emotional exploration in a safe containment. But there is less evidence on its long-term mental health effects. To know more about this topic visit sex ai.