Xlovecam – AI and the Sexuality of Italians
April 2026
This new study follows a series of previous surveys conducted by Discurv on Italians and sexuality, as well as on the sexiest celebrities in Italy and across Europe.
The chart presents a stacked vertical bar illustrating Italians’ opinions on the ability of artificial intelligence to improve their intimate lives.
The bar is divided into four segments:
At the top, 11% say they are absolutely convinced that AI can improve their intimate life.
Just below, 39% say it probably can, bringing the total favorable opinions to 50%.
Then, 28% say they are probably not convinced.
Finally, at the bottom of the bar, 22% answer definitely not.
On the right side of the chart, a generational focus highlights a significant gap:
68% of 18–34-year-olds believe AI can improve intimate life, compared with only 33% of people aged 65 and over.
These results show that younger generations are much more open to the idea of intimacy enhanced or supported by artificial intelligence.
The chart shows that 33% of Italians believe it is possible to develop an emotional attachment to artificial intelligence. Among them, 8% are fully convinced and 24% consider it likely.
By contrast, a majority remains skeptical: 31% consider it unlikely and 37% do not believe it at all.
A strong generational difference also appears: 43% of 18–34-year-olds believe a genuine emotional bond with AI is possible, compared with only 21% of those aged 65 and over.
The chart also highlights the main concerns related to AI in intimacy. The leading concern is the gradual replacement of human relationships (35%), followed by the difficulty of distinguishing reality from fiction (33%) and the risk of increasing loneliness (33%).
Other concerns also emerge, such as emotional dependency on AI (26%), a fear particularly strong among those under 50 (32%), as well as the risk of developing unhealthy emotional relationships (21%), cited more often by women (25%).
Finally, some respondents mention issues related to personal data protection (15%), the risk of AI giving bad advice (13%), or the normalization of infidelity in relationships (11%).
Only 9% say they have no concerns about the use of AI in intimacy.
The first chart shows that 26% of Italians feel comfortable with the idea of having artificial intelligence as an emotional or romantic partner. Among them, 7% say they are very comfortable and 19% somewhat comfortable.
By contrast, a large majority expresses reservations: 30% say they are somewhat uncomfortable and 44% not comfortable at all.
Openness to this possibility varies by age: 35% of 18–34-year-olds are favorable to the idea, compared with only 19% of those over 50.
Women also show greater reluctance, with 50% saying they are not comfortable at all with the idea of an emotional relationship with AI.
The second chart focuses on AI’s ability to replace a human partner. Only 17% of Italians believe artificial intelligence could one day replace a life partner, including 4% who are certain and 13% who consider it likely.
By contrast, 72% reject this idea: 16% think it is probably impossible and 56% think it is completely impossible.
Finally, 11% say they do not know how to position themselves on the issue.
These results show that while some Italians are open to the idea of an emotional bond with AI, it is still largely perceived as incapable of replacing a real human relationship.
The first chart shows that only 18% of Italians would accept the idea of their partner having an intimate relationship with artificial intelligence. Among them, 5% say they would be completely comfortable with the situation and 13% somewhat comfortable.
By contrast, a clear majority expresses discomfort with this possibility: 36% say they would be somewhat uncomfortable and 47% very uncomfortable.
This means that 83% of Italians feel some form of discomfort or rejection toward the idea of intimacy between their partner and AI, showing that this situation is largely perceived as emotionally or relationally problematic.
The second chart explores how people perceive sexual relations with artificial intelligence: is it a form of personal pleasure or a form of infidelity?
The results show that 50% of Italians consider this type of relationship to be a form of solo pleasure, meaning an individual practice that does not necessarily challenge fidelity within a couple.
On the other hand, 21% see it as a form of betrayal, comparable to infidelity.
This perception is even stronger among people under 50, where 25% consider this type of relationship to be cheating.
These results show that while the idea of a partner having an intimate relationship with AI generates discomfort for most people, the sexual use of AI is more often perceived as a personal practice than as genuine infidelity.
The chart shows that more than half of Italians (54%) have already used artificial intelligence to seek advice related to intimacy or romantic relationships.
Among them, 15% say they do so often and 22% from time to time, indicating relatively regular use for part of the population. Another 17% use it more rarely.
By contrast, 46% say they never use AI for this type of advice, showing that a significant portion of the population still remains distant from these practices in the intimate sphere.
Usage varies strongly by age: 76% of 18–34-year-olds say they have already asked AI for this kind of advice, compared with only 33% of those aged 65 and over, highlighting much stronger adoption among younger generations.
The chart also shows a link between this practice and perceptions of AI’s impact on intimate life: among those who believe AI improves their intimate life, 20% are convinced and 53% believe it probably does. By contrast, 22% think it probably does not improve it, and only 5% believe it does not improve it at all.
These results show that AI is gradually establishing itself as an advisory tool in the emotional and intimate sphere, especially among younger people, with a generally positive perception of its usefulness.
The first chart focuses on the experience of intimate interaction with artificial intelligence. It shows that 17% of Italians say they have already had some form of intimate interaction with AI.
More specifically, 12% say they have already had an intimate or emotional conversation with artificial intelligence, while 6% say they have had an intimate or sexual relationship with AI.
At the same time, 19% say they have never had this kind of experience but would like to try it. By contrast, a majority of 63% say they have never had intimate interaction with AI and are not interested in it.
Experience varies greatly by age: 30% of 18–34-year-olds say they have already had intimate interaction with AI, compared with only 5% of those aged 65 and over, highlighting a major generational gap.
The second chart looks at the consumption of non-real adult content, meaning content generated or simulated by artificial intelligence.
It shows that 19% of Italians have already consumed this type of content: 6% did so once and 13% several times.
By contrast, 26% have never consumed it but know what it is, while 54% say they have never consumed it and do not know exactly what it refers to.
Consumption is more common among men (27%) than women (13%), and remains much lower among people aged 65 and over (5%).
These results show that forms of intimacy or sexuality involving AI remain a minority practice but are already well established, especially among young adults, while AI-generated adult content consumption affects a significant portion of the population.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly entering the intimate lives of Italians. Indeed, one in two Italians (50%) believes AI can improve intimate life, and 11% are fully convinced of it. This perception is especially widespread among younger generations, with nearly 7 out of 10 young adults (68% of 18–34-year-olds) sharing this view, compared with only 33% of those over 65.
More curious and clearly more willing to explore these new territories, younger generations appear to be the driving force behind this augmented intimacy.
AI sparks curiosity and a certain excitement: one quarter of respondents say they feel comfortable with the idea of developing an emotional relationship with AI, and nearly one in five Italians even says they would like to try an intimate, conversational, or sexual interaction with it.
However, a limit remains, as 7 out of 10 Italians believe AI will never be able to replace a real romantic partner.
AI therefore appears more as a stimulant for pleasure and exploration than as an alternative to human relationships.
Within the context of a couple, only 18% of Italians say they would be comfortable with the idea of their partner having a relationship with AI.
This relatively low figure can partly be explained by the fact that half of Italians consider intimate interactions with AI more as a form of solo pleasure than as cheating.
However, this interpretation is not unanimous: people under 50 are more likely to see it as a form of infidelity, revealing a still blurry boundary between personal fantasy and relational transgression.
Intimacy with AI is therefore mainly experienced on an individual level.
In practice, a minority has already taken the step: 17% of Italians say they have already had an intimate interaction with AI, whether emotional or sexual.
At the same time, non-real adult content (AI-generated content, hentai, avatars, etc.) is gaining ground: one in two Italians know about its existence, and nearly 20% have already used it, a practice more common among men and younger generations.
Finally, one third of Italians (33%) believe it is possible to develop a genuine emotional bond with AI, an idea particularly widespread among 18–34-year-olds (43%).
A perspective that is both fascinating and worrying: respondents mention the risk of a gradual replacement of human relationships, confusion between reality and virtuality, and an increased feeling of loneliness.
AI in intimacy attracts, questions, and stimulates — but it does not yet fully reassure.
Study conducted by:
Gregoire Besançon, Head of Department
Charlène Canal, Insight Director
TO CITE THIS STUDY, PLEASE USE AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING WORDING:
"Discurv study for XloveCam conducted in April 2026 through a self-administered online questionnaire with a representative sample of 1,000 people living in Italy, aged 18 and over."