Digital Divorces: A New Challenge for Courts / How ChatGPT Is Putting Family Relationships at Risk – خبرگزاری برنا
Tehran – BORNA – A growing phenomenon in recent years has caught the attention of researchers and media alike: the dependency of some couples on AI tools especially ChatGPT which sometimes replace human dialogue and interaction, ultimately driving deep conflicts and even marital breakdowns.
From Helpful Tool to Source of Distance
Originally designed for learning support, advice, and entertainment, these tools have in some households become a force that widens emotional distance. Couples who once struggled with financial problems, personal conflicts, or infidelity now face a new type of crisis: when one partner turns to artificial intelligence for emotional advice and behavioral analysis, direct interaction with the spouse begins to fade.
International studies and reports show this trend not only pushes couples apart but also fosters new behavioral patterns that gradually undermine shared life. Psychologists have coined the term “digital divorces” to describe separations rooted not in the presence of a real third person but in the daily intrusion of a smart machine.
Painful Testimonies from Affected Couples
Interviews with more than a dozen men and women who believe AI misuse was the main factor behind their marriage collapse reveal a clear pattern: a one-sided dependency on ChatGPT or similar tools replacing genuine human conversation.
A 38-year-old man from Los Angeles explains: “My wife spent hours talking to ChatGPT. When I complained, she said AI understands better, doesn’t judge, and always has an answer. After a while, I realized I no longer had a place in her emotional life.”
A 41-year-old woman from London recounts: “My husband used ChatGPT to analyze our relationship and even justified his own faults by citing its advice. The dependency not only led to divorce but also a complicated custody battle over our two children.”
When Machines Replace Dialogue
Psychologists argue that such extreme dependency reflects shifting patterns in human communication. Instead of resolving issues through discussion, couples are turning to technologies that merely simulate human interaction.
Sarah Blain, a professor of family psychology at the University of Toronto, notes: “AI can be a valuable tool for self-reflection. But when it replaces human relationships, it intensifies loneliness and emotional distance, turning small problems into serious crises.”
Digital Divorces Enter the Courtroom
The consequences of this trend extend beyond emotional distress. Family lawyers in the U.S. report that in some cases, AI-generated advice has even been cited in legal proceedings.
This raises new questions for courts: Can reliance on AI counseling undermine parental fitness? Can a robot’s advice be considered valid evidence in legal disputes?
According to several attorneys, such cases are shaping a “new generation of family law disputes” without precedent.
A joint study by OpenAI and the MIT Media Lab examined nearly 1,000 participants over 28 days. It found that those who engaged heavily and emotionally with ChatGPT reported greater loneliness, less social interaction, and stronger emotional attachment to the AI. These users were also more prone to problematic usage patterns.
The findings suggest that digital dependency may weaken human relationships and foster serious challenges in married life.
A Warning for the Future
Family experts warn that if left unchecked, the world could see a sharp rise in digital divorces cases red not by infidelity or traditional disputes but by emotional dependence on artificial intelligence.
Lila Sadeghi, a family sociologist, stresses: “Young couples need to learn to use AI as a complementary tool, not a replacement for human connection. Otherwise, we risk raising a generation that depends on conversations with machines instead of developing real problem-solving skills.”
Modern divorces show that technology influences not only the economy and politics but also the most intimate aspects of private life. For many, ChatGPT is a valuable assistant. For others, it has become the starting point of loneliness and marital collapse.
These experiences underscore a fundamental truth: no algorithm, however advanced, can replace empathy and genuine human dialogue.
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