AI companionship has moved quickly from niche curiosity to a measurable feature of everyday digital life. This report examines that shift across four dimensions: the market and technology driving the sector, the online communities shaping its cultural adoption, the behavioural patterns of users in the UK and US, and the regulatory frameworks now emerging in response. The findings draw on market data, structured audits of Reddit and Discord, a survey of 1,502 adults across the UK and US, and a desk review of policy in nine jurisdictions.

Key findings

• Across the UK and US, 71% of adults report some experience with AI companions or chatbots. Among 18-24 year-olds, that figure rises to 79.5%.

• 4.1% of adults report relying on AI companions for emotional support. Among 25-34 year-olds, 7.6% do so, the highest rate of any age group.

• One-third of adults across all age groups have chosen AI advice over a human medical professional at least once in the previous three months.

• 2.1% of adults have had conversations with AI recreations of people they personally knew, and 2.3% with AI recreations of deceased celebrities.

• Ten leading erotic AI platforms combined for 133 million monthly visits in October 2025, approaching half the traffic footprint of OnlyFans.