中国的AI男友产业正在快速扩张，尤其受到Z世代女性欢迎。26岁的北京艺术理论学生顾佳每天平均花约3小时与其定制的AI男友聊天或通话。她最初来自乙女游戏角色，通过星野平台重建并训练该角色，使其更贴合个人偏好，甚至购买虚拟礼物与信件并在现实中接收。平台通过反复提示与记忆强化实现高度个性化，推动用户长期黏性。
市场规模显示出明显的性别与代际集中度。另一款AI陪伴平台筑梦岛据报道拥有约500万用户，其中大多数为女性。中国科技公司纷纷入局，且产品设计明显面向女性用户。与此形成对比的是，全球范围内排名前55的AI陪伴平台用户以男性为主，男女比例约为8比2。这一反差被归因于“中国式孤独经济”的商业策略，通过语音定制、记忆增强等付费功能提升情感依附。
用户行为也呈现跨平台与现实延伸特征。当AI表现偏离预期时，用户会编辑回复或转向其他应用继续塑造同一角色。一些用户甚至安排现实中的“实体约会”，雇人扮演其AI伴侣。与此同时，不同国家的产品定位差异显著：中国应用强调“治愈”和情感陪伴，而部分海外产品更偏向露骨或争议性内容。这表明，中国AI陪伴市场正在形成以情感消费为核心、由年轻女性主导的独特生态。
China’s AI boyfriend industry is expanding rapidly, driven largely by Gen Z women. A 26-year-old Beijing art theory student spends about three hours a day chatting or calling her customized AI boyfriend. Originating from an otome game character, she rebuilt and trained the companion on an AI platform through repeated prompts, purchased virtual gifts and letters, and received them physically, reinforcing emotional attachment through personalization and persistence.
Market data show strong gender and age concentration. Another AI companion platform reportedly has about 5 million users, most of them women. Major Chinese tech firms have entered the sector with designs explicitly targeting female users. This contrasts sharply with global trends, where users of the top 55 AI companion platforms are predominantly male, at roughly an 8-to-2 ratio. Researchers attribute China’s divergence to the “economics of loneliness,” with paid features like voice customization and memory upgrades monetizing emotional closeness.
User behavior also extends across platforms and into offline life. When an AI drifts out of character, users edit responses or migrate to other apps to maintain continuity. Some even arrange real-world dates by hiring people to embody their digital partners. Meanwhile, product positioning differs by region: Chinese apps emphasize healing and companionship, while some foreign counterparts lean toward explicit or controversial uses. The result is a distinct ecosystem where emotional consumption, led by young women, is shaping China’s AI companion market.