A surprising reason some men will date AI instead of a human

With inflation and tariffs, the cost of living has only gone up — and not just for groceries and tech products. Daters have also felt the squeeze, so much so that some men are saying they'd "date" AI in order to save money.

Just under one in three men (28 percent) said they'd date an AI over being single if they had to cut costs, according to a survey from AI companion company Joi AI.

Joi surveyed 1,000 men aged 18-44 in June, and 36 percent also said dating an AI could save them hundreds each month.

More than half of the millennial and Gen Z men surveyed believe AI relationships are more "financially practical" than human ones, while nearly half believe that AI dates could fulfill emotional needs — at least to some extent.

Meanwhile, 17 percent of those surveyed have flirted with an AI, and 12 percent said they weren't sure or maybe did so "jokingly."

Even though most of the men surveyed would rather stay single than date an AI to save money, the financial anxiety is real: 28 percent — the same amount who'd date an AI — said they feel anxious about how much a date might cost. Nearly half (49 percent) said they sometimes feel that way. Over half, 64 percent, said they'd lower their standards if income didn't matter to their partner.

While Joi AI is obviously invested in people having relationships with bots, it's true that people are turning to LLMs for companionship.

A recent survey from Common Sense Media found that some teens regularly chat with AI companions. When speaking about a previous survey from Joi AI, an expert told Mashable that it didn't surprise her that young adults would want to "marry" a chatbot at a time when they're frequently anxious and chatbots are providing nonjudgmental replies.

Back in June, CBS interviewed a couple of people — with human partners — who also fell in love with AI. One of them cited "being able to be received with acceptance and validation and nonjudgment" as one reason.

And now we have yet another reason: money. Then again, these men would have to budget for the costs of AI subscriptions.