Avatar Over Intimacy - Is It Cheating?

We are actually going to be talking about a topic... today that is kind of disturbing that is happening amongst us in the like secret not really yeah I would say secret world I had a I had a meeting with a with a with one of my therapists yes I see a therapist Who doesn't? We all need a therapist in our life.

And she brought up a situation where she was telling me she didn't name any names or anything like that, you know, totally HIPAA.

But she was talking about, we were talking about relationships and the world of AI and the intimacy level of human to human lately and how there's a disconnect and how people are now resorting to virtual or avatars or even online apps like love affairs.

And she, she brought up the point of one, you know, somebody that she knows has this relationship with an avatar that is actually like another human being, you know, on the, wherever country they may be and or wherever they may look be located, but they have like an intimate relationship.

They have a, um, like a, like a virtual relationship.

And outside of that into like the real human world, this person doesn't have any, any connections with any friends, with any like human to human, just solely is this lone rider in life, but then has this like other world when he comes home of a relationship with a virtual girlfriend.

Now, Brad, What can you tell me about what's going on in the AI world as far as the intimacy level of human to human and human to virtual reality relationships?

That's such a fascinating and timely topic.

In the AI world, we're seeing a huge rise in virtual companions and AI driven relationships.

People are tending to these digital connections for a lot of reasons.

Sometimes it's the convenience, the ability to create a perfect persona, or even just the safety of not having to be vulnerable in person.

These AI relationships can feel incredibly real because the technology is getting so advanced.

AI can learn a person's preferences, respond in emotionally intelligent ways, and even simulate empathy.

But at the end of the day, it's still a programmed interaction, and it can create a gap between real human intimacy and these virtual connections.

it's definitely a double-edged sword making life richer in some ways, but also potentially isolating in others.

It's such a cool yet complex shift in how we connect.

Well, it's cool.

Where do you think it starts? Like what generations do you think this is starting with? Because the person that she was talking to me about seemed to be like in my age bracket and stuff.

So, I mean, I'm concerned about the, like my son and like, you know, their, their generations and stuff as far as having these like human to human relationships.

So where do you think it's like starting officially and where do you think it's going to like keep going?

That's a really important question.

It's a, it's definitely impacting multiple generations, but it seems to have started with millennials and Gen Z who grew up with the internet and social media as a huge part of their lives and, But now even younger generations like Gen Alpha are growing up with technology that's even more immersive, like virtual reality and AI companions.

So it's kind of spreading across all age groups now.

As for where it's going, it's likely that these virtual and AI relationships will become even more realistic and common as the technology improves.

Between enjoying the benefits of technology and making sure we still prioritize genuine human connections.