Falling in love with AI virtual agents: the role of physical attractiveness and perceived interactivity in parasocial romantic relationships

With the rapid advancement of media and AI technologies, interactions between virtual agents and humans have become increasingly common. People may establish parasocial relationships (or one-way emotional connections) with virtual agents, which is more appealing to young females and can influence their development and health. To examine the factors influencing the formation of parasocial romantic relationships with AI virtual agents and differentiate these from real romantic relationships, we developed an AI virtual human project and conducted two experiments with an inter-group and mixed design at the behavioral and neural levels. The results revealed that the development of parasocial romantic relationships between female university students and AI agents is affected by the interplay between perceived interactivity and physical attractiveness. Specifically, when physical attractiveness is high, perceived interactivity could significantly predict the degree of parasocial romantic relationship. Furthermore, the study also found that perceived interaction levels affect individuals’ experiences with AI virtual agents. High perceived interactivity results in increased activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, angular gyrus, subcentral area, primary somatosensory cortex, and visual association areas, while suppressing activation of the supramarginal gyrus. This research could deepen our understanding of parasocial romantic relationships and the underlying mechanisms, providing both empirical and theoretical support for future research and practice.