AI girlfriend searches top in Australia, study finds

Babestation has published a cross-country analysis of online searches for AI girlfriends. It found no strong link between higher search interest and higher reported loneliness.

The study covered more than 20 countries, comparing search activity for AI girlfriend chatbots with YouGov survey data on loneliness and gender. It ranked countries by searches per 100,000 internet users and included both English-language and native-language queries. Internet user data came from the World Bank.

Australia ranked first, with 70.1 AI girlfriend searches per 100,000 internet users and 18,320 searches a month. Sweden followed with 63.8, ahead of Canada on 63.7, Ireland on 62.7 and the Netherlands on 58.1.

Those five countries all reported relatively low shares of people who said they felt lonely, ranging from 8% in Sweden and the Netherlands to 15% in Canada. Australia, which topped the ranking for AI girlfriend searches, had a loneliness rate of 10%.

Top markets

The figures suggest interest in AI romantic chatbots is concentrated in wealthier, highly connected markets rather than in countries with the highest reported loneliness rates. High incomes and broad digital access appeared to be common features among the leading countries.

Australia's search rate was about 1.5 times the study average and around 10 times that of India, which ranked last. The dataset also compared search volumes with dating app searches and with the male population aged 20 to 39.

Per 10,000 men aged 20 to 39, Ireland recorded 48.77 searches, Australia 48.52 and Sweden 45.73. Measured against dating app searches, Australia again led with 12.7 AI girlfriend searches per 100 dating app searches, followed by Canada at 11.5 and the Netherlands at 9.0.

Falling interest

The study also pointed to cooling interest from the previous year. Search volumes fell across most countries in the sample, with Canada down 25%, Ireland down 40%, Australia down 11%, Sweden down 19% and the Netherlands down 13%.

Only Spain moved in the opposite direction. The analysis said the earlier surge in interest in AI partners had already peaked.

"Even the top ranking makes it clear that AI relationships are popular all over the world and may not be connected by loneliness or common life outlooks," said a Digital Relationship Expert at Babestation.

The same spokesperson compared AI partners with other forms of online entertainment and digital intimacy. "For us, these numbers are much lower. Around 10% used AI for general emotional support, and only 4% tried to replace social interactions with them," said the expert.

Gender split

Alongside loneliness, the analysis looked at whether AI romance searches were driven mainly by men. It found that while male users still account for most demand in many countries, women also make up a notable share of searches in several markets.

Japan, the US and Spain were highlighted as countries where women searching for AI partners account for a larger share of interest than is often assumed. In Japan, women were said to make up 30% of those looking for AI romance tools.

The US data cited in the analysis said 31% of US adults had chatted with such a bot at least once. That suggests use of AI companions extends beyond a narrow group of male users, although the study found the balance in most countries remains skewed towards men.

"On a behaviour level, AI partners are no different than adult videos, custom virtual experiences like OnlyFans users are offered, or video games," said the expert.

The analysis also questioned the idea that male loneliness alone explains the trend. "The gender aspect is a second part of this question," said the expert. "The data here and in other research suggest that there is an influence of gender in this. Some countries do have a larger share of women looking for AI romance, like in Japan, where they make up a substantial 30%. In most countries, the ratio is more skewed towards men, and US data shows that 31% of US adults have chatted with such a bot at least once."