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Intimacy in romantic love relationships has always been fraught with complexity; however, research on online intimacy in the form of smartphones, social media, dating apps, and the recent rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) suggests that the future of intimacy is more uncertain than ever. While many scholars consider intimacy to be a bilateral process of mutual self-disclosure and partner responsiveness, recent research indicates that it is no longer a simple transactional exchange, but rather an experience rife with unprecedented complexity, chaos, and contradictions, characteristic of the globalized, postnormal world many couples reside in today. Additionally, the application of AI to love and intimacy presents further complexities. Dating apps assist would-be partners in the formation of relationships, chatbots aid existing partners in their communication and relational maintenance, and AI companions offer users emotional support and sometimes even romantic love, though all come with potential risks. Furthermore, the wide spectrum of AI in the realm of intimacy is rapidly advancing into direct human-to-robot relationships, calling into question fundamental assumptions about humans’ most personal and private experiences with one another. Utilizing a theoretical and transdisciplinary approach, this chapter provides an overview of intimacy-related literature in three parts. It begins with a brief discussion on the origins of intimacy and its prevailing conceptions. Next, research is presented illustrating the link between intimacy, globalization, and postnormal times, using examples from recent polling data depicting trends in online intimacy and dating apps. Lastly, research from the rapidly advancing field of AI and intimacy is introduced, emphasizing the complex discussion surrounding love between humans and artificial partners. Overall, this chapter charts a course from where intimacy began, where it is now, and where it may be headed in the future, asking critical questions about what it means to love and be loved.

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“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” Charting the Course Toward Intimacy’s Uncertain Future

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年

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  • Lisa Blair

摘要

Intimacy in romantic love relationships has always been fraught with complexity; however, research on online intimacy in the form of smartphones, social media, dating apps, and the recent rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) suggests that the future of intimacy is more uncertain than ever. While many scholars consider intimacy to be a bilateral process of mutual self-disclosure and partner responsiveness, recent research indicates that it is no longer a simple transactional exchange, but rather an experience rife with unprecedented complexity, chaos, and contradictions, characteristic of the globalized, postnormal world many couples reside in today. Additionally, the application of AI to love and intimacy presents further complexities. Dating apps assist would-be partners in the formation of relationships, chatbots aid existing partners in their communication and relational maintenance, and AI companions offer users emotional support and sometimes even romantic love, though all come with potential risks. Furthermore, the wide spectrum of AI in the realm of intimacy is rapidly advancing into direct human-to-robot relationships, calling into question fundamental assumptions about humans’ most personal and private experiences with one another. Utilizing a theoretical and transdisciplinary approach, this chapter provides an overview of intimacy-related literature in three parts. It begins with a brief discussion on the origins of intimacy and its prevailing conceptions. Next, research is presented illustrating the link between intimacy, globalization, and postnormal times, using examples from recent polling data depicting trends in online intimacy and dating apps. Lastly, research from the rapidly advancing field of AI and intimacy is introduced, emphasizing the complex discussion surrounding love between humans and artificial partners. Overall, this chapter charts a course from where intimacy began, where it is now, and where it may be headed in the future, asking critical questions about what it means to love and be loved.