What is Lovehoney's AI-powered 'sexual happiness' tool?
AI seems to be creeping into just about everything, from mental health chatbots to AI traffic cameras. And now, you can ask it sex advice.
Meet Lovehoney's new 'sexual happiness A.I.ssistant', a first-of-its-kind AI advisor to help guide you on your personal journey of sexual exploration.
You can ask an unlimited number of questions related to sex and the AI will provide 'personalised and completely discrete advice' based on Lovehoney's own expertise, 'eventually recommend shopping suggestions tailored to your preferences'.
A 2023 Lovehoney study revealed the general public are turning to potentially harmful sources of education around sex and sexual health and 28% of people have learned about sex from pornography.
Meanwhile, 30% of 18-24-year-olds are turning to TikTok to learn about sex and intimacy and 44% of those surveyed said they 'learned by doing' rather than tapping into trusted education sources.
In light of this, in a more recent 2024 Lovehoney survey, 33% said they would feel more comfortable talking to an AI-based program than a human about topics like masturbation and sex techniques. Just 23% of people talk to their friends regularly about masturbation, suggesting there is still some stigma associated with discussing sex in the UK.
'A personal guide to pleasure'
"We feel it's not just our privilege but our duty to help our customers, because we know that opening up about sex is something many still struggle with," says Lovehoney's Head of AI, Philipp Hamburger.
"When it comes to sex, everyone is on a unique journey and our Lovehoney A.I.ssistant has been designed to offer a personal guide to pleasure that can be with our customers every step of the way."
The new AI companion 'combines 20+ years of sexual wellness expertise, user research and product knowledge, curated by Head of User Research and qualified sexologist Elisabeth Neumann, to create the ultimate AI pleasure guide'.
You can ask about sex, pleasure, intimacy or toys, choosing a question from some suggested starting points or writing your own on the chat. "The A.I.sisstant has also been carefully designed to ensure its customers engage in safe, respectful, and lawful sex play," says a Lovehoney spokesperson.
"As such it will reject any request that might be deemed as harmful, non-consenting, or illegal, while underscoring the critical importance of communication, safety, research, and consent for more exploratory sexual encounters including bondage or fetish practices."
What about privacy?
"Customer interactions with the Lovehoney A.I.ssistant are entirely confidential, and we do not retain customer chat history. We may use anonymised chat history to analyse problems and further develop the efficiency of our AI, but user details would never be stored, and the anonymised chat history would never be shared externally," the spokesperson adds.
"We recommend that users do not input personal or sensitive data, but any information they do share is safely stored and protected. Users can input details to help the tool assist them better – e.g. their sexuality and relationship status – but personal details regarding identity will not improve user experience."
What do sex and relationship experts think of AI for sex advice?
"I believe that AI-driven platforms offering sexual advice and tips can be a positive development," says sexologist and relationship psychotherapist Becky Crepsley-Fox.
"Sex is a topic that many people feel embarrassed to discuss openly, so having the option to ask questions anonymously through AI could really help individuals who are uncomfortable seeking advice from another person.
"Since a sexologist helped create the content [for Lovehoney], I feel confident the information provided will be accurate and reliable. This is especially important when compared to advice found on social media, where misinformation can easily spread. People often take what they see online at face value, even when it's incorrect or misleading."
The sexologist believes the more accurate information people can access about sex, the better. "For me, knowledge is empowerment. In the UK, sex education is often lacking, and many of the individuals I work with don’t know fundamental aspects of their sexual anatomy or how desire works.
"I also see a lot of women who are still discovering what they want in bed. A platform like this could give people a private space to learn more about themselves and their desires, which is a really positive thing."
BACP-registered relationships counsellor Lisa Spitz echoes the same sentiment, "I think any factually correct information is a good thing. People want and need a place they can ask questions without feeling shame and embarrassment that they don't know the answers.
"Like anything, AI has its limitations but as a first point of call it’s definitely better than TikTok. The impact on people’s relationships would be down to the quality of the relationship and their communication."
Perhaps 'a first port of call' is the way to treat it. Despite the positives, Crepsley-Fox reminds us, "While the privacy and anonymity of an AI tool are clear advantages, I don’t believe it should completely replace human connection.
"There is value in private learning, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like sex, where someone may feel safer asking questions anonymously at first. But human connection is still vital, particularly in the context of relationships and sexual wellness."
She doesn't want us to completely "retreat into the safety of our devices", isolating us from meaningful, face-to-face interactions.
"Ideally, using AI to explore and learn should lead to deeper conversations with partners or professionals, helping people to enhance their real-life connections and understanding."
A medical health professional should always be additionally consulted for any health concerns.
Read more: The 6 TikTok dating trends that relationship experts say are dangerous (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)
Read more: 9 ways to boost sexual pleasure with endometriosis (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
