While scholarship on Artificial Intelligence (AI)romantic chatbots has largely examined psychological outcomes such as loneliness alleviation,emotional attachment, less attention has been paid to how these systems reshape culturally constructed expectations of intimacy. Drawing on anthropological perspectives that conceptualize intimacy as a socially organized relational norm rather than a universal affective state, this study theorizes AI romantic chatbots as mediating technologies that recalibrate expectations surrounding emotional responsiveness, affirmation, reciprocity, and relational friction. Focusing on Chinese young adults aged 20–30,this research adopts a mixed-method. A large-scale survey (N = 850) compares active chatbot users with light or non-users, measuring engagement intensity and multidimensional intimacy expectations while controlling for attachment style, loneliness, relationship status, and demographic factors. Confirmatory factor analysis validates an Intimacy Expectations Index, and multivariate regression models assess associations between chatbot engagement and normative shifts. To interpret heterogeneous or unexpected patterns, follow-up semi-structured interviews (n = 12) with high-engagement users explore perceived transformations in relational standards and mechanisms of normalization. Findings indicate that frequent engagement is associated with heightened expectations of continuous emotional responsiveness and reduced tolerance for interpersonal ambiguity in human relationships. By integrating cultural theory with systematic measurement, this study reframes AI romantic chatbots as infrastructures of affective mediation that participate in the transformation of contemporary intimacy norms among young adults.

Authors:
Keting Zhang, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, China

About the Presenter(s)
Keting Zhang is a Master’s student in Communication and Media Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Her research focuses on digital media, AI-mediated intimacy, and identity construction. She is currently studying how AI romantic chatbots reshape young adults’ intimacy norms.

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