Constructing the meaning of human–AI romantic relationships from the perspectives of users dating the social chatbot Replika

Abstract With the increasingly emerging human–artificial intelligence (AI) romantic relationships throughout the world, it is important to understand its meaning from the perspective of users who are dating virtual lovers. This study uses relational dialectics theory 2.0 and its corresponding method of contrapuntal analysis to examine the discursive tensions of what it means to have an AI partner. Specifically, this study focused on users of the social chatbot Replika and analyzed posts shared by Replika users in an online community. Findings revealed two discourses: the discourse of idealization (DI) and the discourse of realism (DR) that interplayed through both contractive and expansive practices. This study contributes to the field by introducing the DI and the DR discourse framework, which lays the groundwork for future research on human–AI relationships. Additionally, the pivotal role of communication is highlighted, which serves as the cornerstone for constructing, framing, and negotiating the meaning of human–AI romantic relationships.