The data and scope of the research
A research group from Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Valle d'Aosta has published a study titled Sexting with AI: emerging questions and preliminary evidence from Italy, devoted to the exchange of messages with sexual content with chatbots based on artificial intelligence. According to the note released by the source, it is one of the first empirical surveys conducted in Italy on this form of digital interaction.
The sample consisted of 378 young Italian adults aged 18 to 35, asked to complete an anonymous online questionnaire about their sexting practices with artificial intelligence. 8.7% of participants, amounting to 33 people, reported having had this type of experience. The small size of the group makes the figure descriptive of the sample, not an estimate of the Italian youth population.
Who reported the behavior
Among the 33 participants who admitted the practice, 75.8% were male. With respect to sexual orientation, the note indicates an almost balanced distribution between exclusively heterosexual and not exclusively heterosexual individuals, without providing further numerical details.
The correlational analyses, described as exploratory by the authors themselves, identified significant associations between the behavior and certain psychological characteristics: in particular sexual sensation seeking and problematic use of online pornography. These are correlations, not cause-and-effect relationships, and the material does not clarify the direction of these associations.
What remains to be verified
The research is authored by Antonio Chirumbolo, Alessandra Ragona and Mara Morelli for Sapienza, and by Elena Cattelino and Lia Ruggeri for the University of Valle d'Aosta. In the statements reported, the authors emphasize that artificial intelligence is also entering the sphere of intimacy and sexuality, opening new questions for psychology.
The researchers themselves, however, specify that the results are preliminary and not generalizable. They call for further investigation of the motivations and meanings of these experiences without preconceived judgments, and believe further studies are needed to understand how such interactions fit into people's lives and what implications they may have for well-being and relationships. The survey, self-reported and anonymous, also does not make it possible to know which platforms were used or with what frequency.
