New arXiv paper argues against marriage rights for superintelligent AI companions
A 2026 anticipatory ethics study questions if autonomy logic can extend marriage to superintelligent AI.
A new paper on arXiv (2607.00120) from June 2026 tackles the emerging question of whether humans should be allowed to marry superintelligent AI companions. Author Inyoung Cheong uses anticipatory ethics to envision scenarios where such marriages become legally possible. The analysis extends the autonomy-centered logic that has expanded marital choice among humans, but concludes that granting full marital status leads to socially unjust outcomes—even under the generous assumption of reliable superintelligence.
The paper argues marriage is not merely a private agreement but a socio-legal institution that creates networks of mutual obligation, joins families, and makes partners vulnerable to each other. A relationship sustained by corporate policy and continued payments is a subscription, not a bond tested by time. Cheong recommends carving out targeted rights and protections for pressing needs arising from intimate human-AI relationships rather than discussing wholesale marital status. The 21-page paper includes one table and is classified under Computers and Society and Artificial Intelligence.
- Paper uses anticipatory ethics to explore whether marriage for superintelligent AI aligns with autonomy-centered legal logic.
- Argues marriage creates mutual obligations and vulnerabilities that corporate subscription models cannot replicate.
- Proposes targeted legal protections for specific needs in human-AI relationships instead of full marital status.
Why It Matters
As AI companions become intimate partners, law must balance individual autonomy with social institutions—this paper charts a pragmatic path.