What does it mean to fall in love with something we know is virtual? The proliferation of conversational AI enables users to create customizable companions, fostering new intimate relationships that, while virtual, are perceived as authentic. However, public understanding of these bonds is limited, and platform policies regarding these interactions remain inconsistent. There is a pressing need for further HCI research to investigate: (a) the design affordances in AI that construct bonds and a sense of intimacy, (b) how such long-term engagement impacts users' real lives, and (c) how to balance user autonomy with platform regulation in the design of these systems without compromising users' well-being and experiences. This paper takes a step toward addressing these goals by providing a concrete definition of human AI intimacy based on in depth interviews with 30 users engaged in romantic relationships with AI companions. We elucidate the complexities of these relationships, from their formation to sustainability, and identify key features of the bonds formed. Notably, we introduce the AI Amplifier Effect, where the AI serves as a medium that intensifies the user's existing emotional state, leading to divergent positive, neutral, and negative impacts. We argue that designing for emotion must extend beyond technical affordances to encompass the essence of human affection. This paper's contributions aim to initiate a conversation and guide future research on human AI relationships within the HCI community.

翻译：爱上明知是虚拟的事物意味着什么？对话式AI的普及使用户能够创建可定制的伴侣，催生了虽为虚拟却被感知为真实的新型亲密关系。然而，公众对这些情感联结的理解有限，平台对此类互动的政策也缺乏一致性。当前亟需进一步的人机交互研究以探究：(a) AI中构建情感联结与亲密感的设计可供性，(b) 此类长期互动如何影响用户的现实生活，以及(c) 如何在系统设计中平衡用户自主性与平台监管，同时不损害用户的福祉与体验。本文通过对30位与AI伴侣建立浪漫关系的用户进行深度访谈，提出了基于此的人类-AI亲密关系的具体定义，从而向实现这些目标迈进一步。我们阐释了此类关系从建立到维持的复杂性，并识别了所形成情感联结的关键特征。值得注意的是，我们提出了"AI放大器效应"，即AI作为媒介会放大用户既有的情感状态，从而产生分化性的积极、中性及消极影响。我们认为，情感设计必须超越技术可供性，涵盖人类情感的本质。本文的贡献旨在引发讨论，并为人机交互领域未来关于人类-AI关系的研究提供指引。