A new study out of MIT offers a first-of-its-kind large-scale computational analysis exploring the how and why of folks falling for AI chatbots. The research team dove into subreddit r/MyBoyfriendIsAI, a community of folks that sometimes ironically, sometimes more seriously refer to AI bots like ChatGPT as their romantic other half. The team found that many users' "AI companionship emerges unintentionally through functional use rather than deliberate seeking." The subreddit doesn't just discuss AI boyfriends either, with the community explicitly welcoming posts about relationships encompassing "all gender configurations for both humans and AI entities." The research team found that "10.2% [of posters within the sample] developed relationships unintentionally through productivity-focused interactions, while only 6.5% deliberately sought AI companions."