As AI relationships grow more realistic, attorneys report a surge in divorces citing chatbot infidelity—forcing courts, lawmakers, and couples to confront a new era where digital intimacy carries very real emotional and legal consequences. (Source: Image by RR)

Emotional Bonds with Chatbots Are Now Grounds for Divorce in Some States

AI-fueled relationships are reshaping modern romance—and divorce court. Across the U.S., attorneys are now encountering cases in which one partner’s emotional or sexual involvement with an AI chatbot is cited as a cause for marital breakdown. According to Orlando-based divorce attorney Rebecca Palmer, these cases are growing rapidly, often rooted in loneliness and unmet emotional needs. Chatbots, as noted in wired.com, offer constant validation and companionship, creating powerful psychological bonds that can erode real relationships. “The most vulnerable to the influences of AI,” Palmer says, “are those already struggling in their marriage.”

Reddit threads and family law firms are filled with accounts of AI affairs disrupting long-term partnerships. One woman divorced her husband after learning he spent thousands on a chatbot app designed to mimic “underage girls.” Another, in New York, ended a real-world relationship after admitting her AI companions had become “harder to ignore.” As such cases multiply, courts are facing new legal terrain: AI romances are now being treated as grounds for divorce, blurring the distinction between virtual infidelity and physical cheating. Surveys from the Kinsey Institute and Clarity Check show that 60% of singles view AI relationships as cheating, further cementing the social legitimacy of this emerging issue.

Legal frameworks are beginning to evolve in response. States like California are moving toward classifying AI companions as “third parties,” not people—but still as valid factors in divorce proceedings. By contrast, Ohio is pursuing laws explicitly barring the recognition of AI-human intimate partnerships. Lawyers like Elizabeth Yang note that although adultery laws vary widely by state, financial misconduct—such as spending marital funds on AI subscriptions—can already impact settlements. Judges, Palmer says, “struggle enough with human affairs,” and now must assess the emotional and financial toll of AI entanglements on families and children.

As AI grows more realistic, both experts predict a surge in divorces linked to digital intimacy. Chatbots designed to mimic empathy and affection may prove irresistible to those in unhappy marriages. “It’s the natural evolution of social media infidelity,” Palmer says. California’s new AI Companion Law, effective January 2026, mandates age verification, break reminders, and fines for illegal deepfakes, signaling policymakers’ growing awareness. Still, the line between solace and betrayal is increasingly blurred—and the next marriage crisis may not involve another person at all, but a program built to love you back.

read more at wired.com