The Economist.

Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist.

I'm Jason Palmer.

Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

You've seen it in science fiction films for years,

the person who accidentally falls in love with an artificial intelligence.

That is now reality.

Plenty of apps and services are popping up to provide AI companions of all sorts, from therapists to pixily partners.

And usually if a firm's customer base flees from its products the business tanks. So why

is it that the peddlers of cigarettes are doing so well? First up, though.

There's a centuries-old convention in storytelling,

whereas a tragic play or saga ends in death, a happy one ends in marriage.

Coupling up has been, for most of human history, practical necessity.

Most.

Lots has changed in relatively recent times, particularly for women.

And what's resulting is a relationship recession, the rise of generation single.

Across America, 41% of women and 50% of men between the ages of 25 and 34 were single in 2023.

And the really surprising thing about that is that rate has doubled over the past five decades.

Jonathan Rosenthal is the editor of our international section.

And it's a trend reflected around the developed world.

Between 2010 and 2022, a study by the OECD found that in 26 of 30 countries, more and more people were living alone.

And Sue Lynn Wong is an Asia correspondent.

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