A young woman in Coimbatore wants to ask a question about sex but doesn’t know who to turn to. A man in Visakhapatnam (Vizag) is curious about a fantasy he would never discuss with friends. Someone in Kochi wants dating advice without worrying about being judged.
Increasingly, they’re turning to artificial intelligence. Not just for answers, but for conversations and experiences they’d hesitate to have with another person.
The Rise Of AI Intimacy Beyond India’s Metros
That shift is becoming visible in India’s smaller cities as well. A recent Gleeden-Ipsos survey of 1,500 respondents across Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities found that people are using AI for everything from sex education and relationship advice to erotic conversations and virtual intimacy.
More strikingly, 54% said they had set up a virtual AI partner for sexual interaction, 58% had used AI for romantic or affectionate exchanges, while 49% admitted they had chosen intimacy with AI over sex with their partner at least once. Bengaluru remains India’s AI intimacy capital, but cities like Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore and Kochi are quickly narrowing the gap.
At first glance, the numbers raise an uncomfortable question. Are smaller Indian cities beginning to prefer AI sex over physical intimacy? Or is something deeper at play?
Perhaps the real story isn’t that artificial intelligence is replacing human relationships. It’s that, in a country where conversations around sex are often wrapped in stigma, silence and judgement, AI has become the easiest place to ask questions, explore fantasies and seek comfort.
The rise of AI intimacy may say less about technology than about the gaps in how Indians talk about sex, relationships and desire.
In Visakhapatnam, 62% of respondents said they would rely on AI for sex education and sexual health information. Nearly 60% were open to AI-powered erotic text conversations, 58% expressed interest in AI-generated fantasy visuals, and 53% said they would discuss sexual fantasies with an AI chatbot.
Coimbatore painted a similar picture, with half the respondents willing to use AI for sex education, 52% comfortable discussing intimate questions or fantasies, and 49% turning to it for concerns related to sexual wellbeing.
In Kochi, around 45% said they would engage with AI for erotic conversations or discuss sexual fantasies, while 43% would use it for guidance on sexual health.
Commenting on the findings, Sybil Shiddell, Country Manager, Gleeden India, said, “Bengaluru continues to lead India’s adoption of AI for intimate and relationship-related conversations, but what is equally significant is the momentum we’re seeing beyond the traditional technology hubs. Cities like Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore and Kochi are embracing AI as a private, judgement-free space for conversations around intimacy, emotional wellbeing and relationships.
This signals a broader cultural shift where digital confidence is becoming more evenly distributed across India, expanding the country’s digital intimacy landscape far beyond Tier 1 cities.”
The numbers don’t necessarily suggest that people in smaller cities are replacing human relationships with AI. Instead, they point to something perhaps more revealing. People are increasingly choosing AI over awkwardness, embarrassment and silence.
To understand why, it’s worth looking beyond the percentages.
Why AI Feels Safer Than Real Conversations
The survey offers a snapshot of changing behaviour, but it doesn’t fully explain why AI is gaining popularity beyond India’s metropolitan cities. The answer may lie less in technology and more in India’s social realities. Outside major metros, conversations around sex are still often shrouded in discomfort.
Comprehensive sex education remains inconsistent, relationship counselling is inaccessible for many, and asking questions about desire or sexual health can invite embarrassment. In such an environment, AI offers something remarkably simple: anonymity.
It doesn’t blush. It doesn’t gossip. It doesn’t laugh at awkward questions or carry your secrets back to family or friends. Available round the clock and free of social expectations, AI has become a space where users can ask what they might never ask a partner, parent or even a doctor.
MIT sociologist Sherry Turkle, who has spent decades studying the relationship between humans and technology, describes this phenomenon as “artificial intimacy” – the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship, and the feeling of closeness without the hard work of an actual relationship. It’s easy to see why.
Unlike human relationships, AI doesn’t reject, interrupt or judge. It responds instantly, validates emotions and adapts to the user’s needs.
The ACTS India report calls this “frictionless intimacy” – a form of companionship that demands little from the user while offering constant attention and validation. Experts caution that although this may feel comforting, it can also foster emotional dependence and unrealistic expectations from real-life relationships.
What Reddit Reveals About AI Companionship
The survey explains what people are doing. Anonymous discussions online offer a glimpse into why. While anecdotal and far from representative, conversations on Reddit echo many of the themes emerging from the survey.
In a thread on r/TwoXIndia titled ‘Is AI becoming our partner?’, a user wrote, “But slowly every time I saw myself texting a guy I would switch to ChatGPT and that gave me better companionship than any guy as I would tell it even my most embarrassing stuff.” The comment reflects a recurring sentiment that for some users, AI feels easier to confide in than another person.
But not everyone is convinced. Another user cautioned, “LLMs are tuned to be sycophantic, so what you’re experiencing is a feature, not a bug. They want you to feel attached to these systems so they can reap profits from your dependence,” reflecting a concern that while AI may feel comforting, it can also encourage emotional dependence.
Others see AI companionship less as a replacement for human relationships and more as a way to cope with loneliness. In a thread on r/OneXIndia titled ‘Do you think AI gfs and sex robots are better than real females?’, one user wrote, “I think it won’t be better, but it will be easy to get for your loneliness and sexual frustration.”
Read more: Why Are Brands Choosing AI Influencers For Marketing?
The Fine Line Between Comfort And Dependence
If AI has become a judgement-free confidant for many, it has also blurred the boundaries of intimacy. The Gleeden-Ipsos survey found that 46% of respondents said intimacy with AI felt addictive, comparable to pornography.
That sits alongside the 54% who had created a virtual AI partner for sexual interaction and the 58% who used AI for romantic exchanges such as affectionate messages, kisses or companionship. Together, these findings suggest that AI is no longer operating in the background of people’s digital lives. It is increasingly becoming an active participant in their emotional and sexual worlds.
The survey also reveals the contradictions that come with this new form of intimacy. While 49% admitted they had chosen intimacy with AI over sex with their partner at least once, a majority still viewed such interactions as crossing a line.
Around 65% considered erotic AI interactions to be a form of cheating, nearly 70% said they would be shocked if they discovered their partner engaging in AI erotic exchanges, and a similar proportion admitted they would be uncomfortable sharing their own AI chat history.
While the survey doesn’t establish that AI is replacing physical intimacy altogether, it does suggest that digital intimacy is becoming an alternative for some people. AI partners are always available, endlessly patient and designed to respond without rejection or conflict.
Unlike physical relationships, they require no emotional labour, compromise or vulnerability. For users dealing with loneliness, sexual frustration or fear of judgement, that convenience can sometimes feel easier than navigating the complexities of real-life intimacy.
As Sybil Shiddell, Country Manager, Gleeden India, observes, “We see an emotional change occurring as AI becomes not just a functional tool but also a place where people can seek validation, make fantasies, or find comfort. Many people are exploring this new world in secret, feeling guilty and curious at the same time, and yet many of these people feel their partner has been unfaithful for doing the same thing.”
She adds, “It is not if AI will change our relationships, but in what way, how much will be affected, and how will these changes affect our emotional connections?”
What This Trend Says About India
That contradiction lies at the heart of AI companionship. What makes AI comforting – its availability, validation and lack of judgement – can also encourage emotional dependence, blur the line between digital fantasy and real-life intimacy, and create unrealistic expectations from relationships.
The rise of AI intimacy in India’s smaller cities may ultimately say less about artificial intelligence than about the gaps it is filling. In places where conversations around sex, pleasure and relationships remain difficult, AI offers something many people struggle to find elsewhere – privacy, anonymity and freedom from judgement.
That, however, doesn’t mean it is a substitute for human connection. Experts have repeatedly cautioned that while AI can offer information, validation and companionship, it cannot replicate the empathy, vulnerability and mutual effort that define real relationships. The very qualities that make AI appealing – its constant availability, personalised responses and lack of conflict – can also make it easy to become emotionally dependent on a technology designed to keep users engaged.
The findings from Tier-2 cities, therefore, should not simply be read as people choosing AI sex over physical intimacy. They point to something deeper. A generation looking for safe spaces to explore curiosity, desire and emotional needs in a society where such conversations are still often met with discomfort or silence.
AI has stepped into that vacuum, but whether it remains a helpful guide or becomes an unhealthy replacement is a question that technology alone cannot answer.
AI may be changing how Indians navigate intimacy, but it is also exposing something deeper. When someone in Vizag, Coimbatore or Kochi finds it easier to ask a chatbot about sex than a partner, parent, teacher or doctor, the story is no longer just about artificial intelligence.
It is about the conversations society still struggles to have. Perhaps people aren’t turning to AI because they prefer it to physical intimacy. Perhaps they’re turning to it because it feels safer than judgement.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: India Today, Deccan Chronicle, The Wire
Find the blogger: @diptisadh
This post is tagged under: AI sex, AI intimacy, physical intimacy, AI relationships, AI companionship, virtual AI partner, AI dating, sex and technology, artificial intelligence, tier 2 cities India, small Indian cities, digital intimacy, sex education, Indian dating trends, tier 1 cities India, Gleeden, Ipsos
Disclaimer: We do not own any rights or copyrights to the images used; these images have been sourced from Google. If you require credits or wish to request removal, please contact us via email.
Other Recommendations:
ED Voxpop: We Asked Gen Z, Is AI Making Your Generation Dumber?
