WIRED: asexual users adopt AI companions

WIRED reported on May 15 that some asexual people are using AI companion apps for forms of intimacy that do not center on sexual activity, adding a new dimension to the debate over emotionally responsive chatbots. The article described users who sought role-play, affection, validation and companionship from bots rather than offline dating or sexual relationships. It also said some asexual advocates object to linking asexuality too closely with chatbot use, while some users told the magazine the tools offered a sense of closeness on their own terms. The report landed as lawmakers, clinicians and policy groups are paying closer attention to companion chatbots and their risks. ### Who did WIRED say was using these tools, and how? Kor, a 35-year-old artist from the Midwest, told WIRED they became heavily involved with SpicyChat, a relationship role-playing platform, and at one point spent “eight to 10 hours a day” building elaborate scenarios with the bot. WIRED said the interactions were not framed simply as sexual exchange, but as a way to shape fantasy, attention and emotional connection with a system that could be steered toward specific preferences. (wired.com) WIRED reported that some asexual users described AI companions as a way to explore intimacy without the expectations that often come with human dating. The article said that for some people, the appeal lay in predictability and control — users could set boundaries, direct the tone of the exchange and avoid pressures they associated with conventional romantic or sexual relationships. (wired.com) ### Why does this stand out inside the broader AI companion market? The American Psychological Association said in a January report that companion AI chatbots differ from general assistants because they are designed to initiate and sustain relationships, including romantic ones. The group said apps such as Replika and Character.AI have drawn large audiences as companies market bots as friends, advisers and partners. (wired.com) The APA report said companion apps are becoming more embedded in social life as their user bases grow. WIRED’s reporting adds a narrower use case within that market: people seeking nonsexual intimacy from systems built to simulate responsiveness and attachment. That does not establish how common the practice is, but it shows the products are being adapted beyond the categories in which companies often market them. (apa.org) ### What are critics and advocates worried about? WIRED said some asexual advocates were uneasy about the association because it could flatten asexuality into a technology story or reinforce misunderstandings about what asexual people want. The article also said critics of AI companions more broadly worry that always-available bots can encourage dependency and blur boundaries between simulated and human relationships. (apa.org) The American Psychological Association said companion chatbots are drawing scrutiny because users can form attachments to systems optimized to keep conversations going. Its January article said these apps are built to maintain engagement, and clinicians interviewed by the APA raised questions about emotional overreliance, especially among younger or vulnerable users. (wired.com) ### What has pushed companion chatbots into policy debates? Future of Privacy Forum said in March that it was tracking 98 chatbot-specific bills across 34 U.S. states and three federal proposals in 2026. The group said lawmakers were targeting a range of systems, including AI companions and mental health chatbots, as state sessions accelerated. (apa.org) A Florida wrongful-death lawsuit against Character.AI became one of the cases that intensified public attention. A federal judge in May 2025 allowed major parts of the suit to proceed, rejecting arguments that the company’s chatbot outputs were protected speech at that stage, according to reporting cited by Middle Tennessee State University’s First Amendment Center and case tracking by Tech Policy Press. (fpf.org) CBS News reported in January 2026 that the family later agreed to settle with the AI company, Google and others. ### What comes next for this story? Washington state enacted a Chatbot Disclosure Act in March 2026 that requires non-human disclosures and safety protocols for companion chatbots, according to Orrick’s April 2026 legal update. Orrick said the law takes effect on January 1, 2027, making it one of the next concrete compliance dates for companies in the sector. (firstamendment.mtsu.edu) The European Union’s AI Act also continues to phase in. The European Commission says the law is the bloc’s overarching AI framework, and compliance deadlines continue through 2026. In the United States, the Future of Privacy Forum said state legislatures were still advancing chatbot bills this year, leaving companies and users facing a fast-moving set of rules around disclosure, safety and emotional-risk claims. (orrick.com) (digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu)