AI Transforms Romance Writing and Virtual Companionship

AI technology is playing a growing role in both romance publishing and digital companionship, with measurable changes in how stories are written and how people interact with virtual partners.

AI-assisted romance novels have become more common on platforms like Kindle Unlimited, with their share rising from 2.3% in early 2022 to 12% in 2024. These titles often appear in weekly batches and are frequently published under pseudonyms without an online author presence, a trend that increased by 68% between the third quarter of 2023 and the second quarter of 2024.

Writers are using AI in various ways, including generating story structures or descriptive passages, while reserving the creation of emotionally focused scenes for themselves. Some authors have reported producing multiple short romance novellas using AI tools for drafting and outlining, then manually refining the emotional tone and narrative voice.

AI-generated or AI-assisted romance titles on Kindle Unlimited tend to have formulaic emotional arcs and limited author information. These works also show different reader engagement patterns, with 18% lower page-read rates and 27% higher early-exit rates compared to other romance titles on the platform.

What the numbers show

• AI-assisted romance titles accounted for 12% of new Kindle Unlimited releases in 2024
• Romance titles under pseudonyms with no online presence rose by 68% from Q3 2023 to Q2 2024
• AI companion app downloads increased 88% year-over-year in 2025
• 31% of young men and 23% of young women aged 18-30 in the U.S. have chatted with an AI romantic partner

Beyond publishing, AI is also being used for emotional companionship. In the United States, 19% of adults have interacted with an AI system intended to simulate a romantic partner. Among young adults aged 18 to 30, the rates are higher, with 31% of men and 23% of women reporting such interactions.

AI companion applications generated over $120 million in revenue in 2025, reflecting an 88% increase in downloads compared to the previous year. These apps, including platforms like Character.ai, are used for emotional support, though intensive usage is linked to lower psychological well-being, particularly among users who are socially isolated.

Academic research in 2026 identified privacy concerns in relationships involving AI companions. The study found that as users develop more intimate connections with AI, they tend to share more personal information and their privacy boundaries become less defined.

The U.S. Copyright Office stated in March 2023 that text generated solely by AI is not eligible for copyright protection unless it is substantially modified by a human. Publishers such as Harlequin have introduced requirements for authors to disclose any use of AI during the submission process.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.