Ethical Risks and Governance Pathways Regarding Human-Machine Intimate Relationships Among Contemporary Youth

Abstract

Human-machine intimate relationships are quasi-interpersonal connections—characterized by emotional dependency and a sense of intimacy—formed through the unilateral projection of human emotions onto artificial intelligence systems. Their immediate responsiveness meets the emotional compensatory needs of young people, while companionship free from the burdens of interpersonal interaction alleviates real-world social anxiety, making them a virtual vessel for spiritual sustenance. However, youth reliance on intelligent companionship also gives rise to multiple ethical risks, specifically manifesting as the deep leakage of emotional privacy, the erosion of content ethics, and significant challenges to family ethics. Consequently, it is necessary to reshape privacy safeguards through the awakening of subjective agency, curb ethical lapses in content via "algorithms for good," and reinforce family ethical bonds and the foundations of marriage and childbearing through real-world connections, thereby guiding young people toward subjective growth and holistic development within the context of harmonious human-machine coexistence.