Divorce-Online Reports Rise in Clients Citing Emotional Attachment to AI Companions as Factor in Divorce

AI infidelity on the rise

Mark Keenan CEO of Divorce-Online

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AI Infidelity? Why Some UK Couples Are Splitting Over Virtual Relationships

SWINDON, WILTSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, May 22, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- UK-based online divorce provider Divorce-Online has reported a notable increase in clients referencing emotional or romantic attachment to AI-powered virtual companions as a contributing factor in their decision to divorce.

According to internal data from the service, an increasing number of divorce applications received in early 2025 referenced a partner’s use of AI chatbot apps such as Replika, Anima, or emerging platforms like DreamBF. AI and WifeGPT. These platforms offer users simulated romantic or emotional experiences through artificial intelligence.

“We’re starting to see relationship breakdowns where one partner becomes emotionally invested in an AI companion,” said Lara Jayne Davies, Solicitor at OLS Solicitors. “While it doesn’t meet the legal definition of adultery, it can fall under unreasonable behaviour—which remains the most commonly cited ground for divorce in the UK.”

Emotional Disconnection Through Digital Companionship
Divorce-Online has observed an emerging pattern of complaints involving:

Secretive use of AI relationship apps

Excessive time spent engaging with AI “partners”

Financial spending on premium emotional features

Referring to AI personas as “real relationships”

In anonymised case notes, one client described how her spouse referred to an AI chatbot named Sophie as the only one who “truly understood him.” Another case involved a partner using an AI boyfriend app to simulate romantic scenarios nightly, leading to emotional distance and a sense of betrayal.

Legal and Social Implications
Under current UK law, a virtual relationship does not meet the threshold for adultery, which requires physical intimacy with a person of the opposite sex. However, emotional neglect and lack of intimacy are accepted reasons under the ‘unreasonable behaviour’ ground for divorce.

“This is the first time we’ve seen AI cited as a third party in divorce proceedings,” said Mark Keenan, Founder and CEO of Divorce-Online. “It opens a broader conversation about digital boundaries, emotional fidelity, and the way technology is impacting modern relationships.”

Ongoing Monitoring of AI’s Role in Relationship Breakdown
Divorce-Online continues to monitor developments in this area as part of its wider analysis of behavioural trends in marital breakdowns. The company routinely collects anonymised data from clients to support legal insight, public education, and service improvement