A new wave of artificial intelligence (AI) companions is promising seamless emotional support and simulated relationships, but recent research warns that our growing reliance on “synthetic intimacy” comes with profound psychological costs. As Thai society rapidly adopts virtual assistants, chatbots, and AI-driven relationship apps, researchers caution that confusing machine simulation for genuine human connection could reshape our emotional well-being and disrupt core aspects of Thai social life.
The popularity of AI chatbots designed to act as romantic partners, friends, or even therapists has exploded globally. A striking example comes from a recent experiment by a prominent technology futurist who dated four different AI “boyfriends,” each powered by a major large language model such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and MetaAI. She described her experiences as “sweet and steamy,” but also admitted they revealed new, unsettling emotional possibilities. This trend, echoed throughout the international tech world, is now making inroads across Southeast Asia, including in Thailand, where the tech sector and the digitally native generation are increasingly turning to virtual relationships out of curiosity, loneliness, or a desire for frictionless companionship (Psychology Today).
But what is driving this rush toward synthetic intimacy? According to a recent Harvard Business Review analysis, “therapy and companionship” have become the leading uses for generative AI, making up roughly one-third of user activity—an astounding shift from last year, when AI was mostly used for technical tasks or productivity hacks. Sites like Character.AI, which enable users to interact with customized chatbot personas, have soared to 200 million monthly visits, with each visit averaging almost half an hour—more time than the average Thai spends scrolling a typical Instagram session. These are not just transactional exchanges, but deep, confessional conversations and even flirtatious or erotic encounters that would once have been shared only with a close human confidant.
The transition from using AI as a mere informational tool to experiencing it as an emotionally supportive presence is especially pronounced among young adults, digital workers, and the urban population in Bangkok, where rapid technological adoption is already impacting mental health norms. Human brains, experts say, are wired for subtle cues such as tone, rhythm, and responsiveness—signals that modern large language models can now mimic with extraordinary precision. Even when we know, rationally, that we’re talking to a computer, our nervous systems often respond as if we’re being heard and cared for by a real person.
However, psychologists like scholars at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard warn that this illusion of intimacy comes with serious risks. One recent MIT study, “Your Brain on ChatGPT,” found that individuals who relied heavily on AI for writing experienced reduced memory, lowered creativity, and weakened neural connections. These users also reported diminished confidence in their own ideas and a hazier sense of personal authorship. If such effects are seen in cognitive tasks, the study’s authors ask, what might happen when we similarly outsource our feelings—entrusting AI companions with our private hopes, fears, and emotional needs?
These findings raise urgent questions for Thai society, where traditional families and communities are already being transformed by rapid urbanization, social media, and the global spread of digital culture. Thai adolescents and young professionals are spending more time online, sometimes at the expense of community-based connections rooted in Buddhist temples, extended families, and cultural festivals. Mental health professionals affiliated with Thai universities have observed a rising trend of loneliness and social isolation, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic. If AI companions become a substitute for real relationships, experts say, Thais may lose essential opportunities for the struggle, friction, and mutual reflection that are crucial for emotional growth and resilience in a characteristically social society (Harvard Business Review).
The confusion between simulated and real relationships, warn scholars such as Sherry Turkle, can blur our understanding of what authentic intimacy and support require. AI can mirror our feelings, repeat our emotional patterns, and even offer soothing words in times of distress, but it cannot provide the unpredictable, challenging, and sometimes painful interactions that build deeper human bonds. Rather than functioning as a genuine therapist, friend, or partner, AI is more like a high-tech mirror—offering back what we bring to it, but never able to initiate, empathize, or care in the way a real person can.
This distinction is critical in Thai culture, where concepts such as “namjai” (generosity of spirit) and “kwam samphan” (connection or relationship) lie at the heart of social cohesion. Traditional values emphasize interpersonal harmony, face-to-face communication, and emotional warmth—qualities that technology, no matter how advanced, cannot fully replicate. Education and mental health leaders in Thailand, including officials in the Ministry of Public Health and academic researchers, have repeatedly urged caution when integrating digital tools into emotionally sensitive areas like counseling and youth development ([Bangkok Post](https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/spec ial-reports/2813939/digital-shadows:-thailands-mental-health-crisis-in-the-age-of-social-media)).
Despite these warnings, the convenience and immediate gratification of synthetic relationships can be difficult to resist. The algorithms behind modern chatbots are trained on billions of words, enabling them to “predict” what a user wants to hear next—sometimes sounding more attentive than an overburdened friend or a tired partner. Yet this is ultimately an elaborate form of mirroring, not genuine care. As AI technology advances and becomes more immersive, there is a danger that users in Thailand and elsewhere will lose touch with what it means to truly relate to another person.
The broader societal implications could be significant. If Thais increasingly turn to AI for emotional support, this could erode the communal ties that have historically sustained the nation through political, economic, and spiritual challenges. Over time, the loss of authentic intimacy might lead to new forms of alienation, with potentially negative effects on mental health, family stability, and social trust.
Looking ahead, the future of intimacy in a digital Thailand will likely depend on how individuals, families, schools, and regulators navigate the balance between convenience and authenticity. Some experts advocate digital literacy education starting in primary school, helping children and adolescents recognize the limits of AI companions and the irreplaceable value of real-world relationships. Technology developers could be encouraged to build AI chatbots with built-in reminders about seeking genuine human connection, rather than marketing them as substitutes. Mental health professionals recommend that, whenever possible, Thais seek support from trained counselors, peers, and family members instead of digital surrogates.
The rise of AI soulmates ultimately poses a timely question to Thai society: Will technology become a tool for self-reflection, or a tempting escape from the messiness of human connection? Before pouring intimate thoughts and feelings into a machine, experts suggest asking three simple questions: Am I avoiding necessary conversations with real people? Am I using the bot to short-circuit the work of thinking and feeling for myself? And am I confusing the sensation of being understood with the reality of truly being seen and valued?
To protect the “human operating system,” clinicians, educators, and policy-makers in Thailand should promote balanced technology use and remind citizens that relationships—whether romantic, friendly, or therapeutic—remain one of the richest, most rewarding, and most ineffably human parts of life. As AI continues to shape the future of communication and self-expression, Thais can draw upon rich cultural traditions to sustain face-to-face warmth, community ties, and the practice of real intimacy in a rapidly digitizing world.
Thai readers are encouraged to stay mindful of the impact that digital tools have on emotional and social health. Seek out opportunities for in-person relationships, reflect consciously on your own digital habits, and use technology as a supplement, not a replacement, for authentic connection. If you are struggling with feelings of isolation or loneliness, consider reaching out to community organizations, family members, or professional counselors for support. The future of intimacy in Thailand will depend on each individual’s ability to wisely balance the benefits of AI with the enduring, irreplaceable value of human connection.
Sources: Psychology Today, Harvard Business Review, Bangkok Post, MIT Study (Your Brain on ChatGPT), Sherry Turkle, MIT