Some asexuals use AI companions for intimacy without sex

AI camaraderie among asexual people is “not a particularly widespread phenomenon,” says Michael Doré, board member of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network. “Among us, we’ve found about two people who we know use an AI companion. The vast majority of aces we know don’t, to our knowledge. There’s no reason to believe that aces need to use AI more than anyone else.”

Doré says he has never used an AI as an “emotional support mechanism” and emphasizes that most asexual people “actually want some form of human companionship,” whether through close, platonic friendships or in community. “Some aces actually have romantic relationships, whether with asexual people or other people, and some asexual people have sex, some don’t, and some are aromantic,” he says, cautioning against generalizations due to the wide range of preferences within the community, which range from never having sex and having no interest in it to having sex for reasons other than…