The use of AI is on the rise, leading to a growing trend in AI companionship. Users can customize companions' appearance, voice and behavior.

Getty Images

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

Tech

AI companions boom in popularity. Are relationships being redefined?

Feb 14

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Ian Kennedy (Video Producer)

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is on the rise, leading to a growing trend in AI companionship. This trend is reminiscent of the 2013 movie “Her,” where a man falls in love with an AI-generated female voice.

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

In 2024, dozens of apps are offering similar products that are all centered on a custom-made companion. Users have the ability to customize the companions’ appearance, voice and behavior.

While some may mock the idea, others are making money off it.

Replika is the most prominent AI companion app. The company’s website reads, “Join the millions who already have met their AI soulmates.”

Replika isn’t exaggerating its user base. The app has more than 10 million downloads.

Researchers said the technology behind the trend has made major advancements in recent years, making the avatars more realistic than ever.

“You have to think about this word AI that is in this,” Liberty Vittert, a professor of data science at Washington University in St. Louis, told CNN. “It’s not a virtual girlfriend, its an AI girlfriend. So it learns from you. It learns what you like, what you don’t like, what pictures you like, pictures you don’t like.”

Another reason for the boom in AI companionship, according to Vittert, is because people are lonely. More specifically, men are lonely, and some are exploring this new avenue as a potential fix.

“I think we have to address the issue at the root of it which is where this loneliness starts,” Vittert said. “We also see psychologically that younger women have closer friends and they are not nearly as affected as young men in this sort of silent epidemic of loneliness.”

Experts have deemed AI as a threat to humanity, and some AI researchers said it could also be a risk to relationships as people know them.

Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Technology

[KARAH RUCKER]

SOME PEOPLE HAVE FOUND A LOVE SO REAL –

IN ARTIFICIAL FORM.

THE BOOM IN A-I. HAS SEEN A BOOM IN A-I COMPANIONSHIP.

ITS A SIMILAR PREMISE TO THE 2013 MOVIE “HER.” A MAN FALLS IN LOVE WITH AN A-I GENERATED FEMALE VOICE.

TODAY – THERE’S NOT ONE – BUT DOZENS OF APPS – OFFERING A SIMILAR PRODUCT – A CUSTOM-MADE COMPANION.

YOU CHOOSE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. SOUND LIKE. AND ACT LIKE.

[“Her” movie]

“Honestly, i’ve never met anyone like you.”

“I’m your new AI girlfriend. I’m as emotional as a real person and sometimes even more understanding.”

“Hello, john. I’m doing great, thanks for asking, its always great catching up with you.”

she’s truly amazing and remembers everything we’ve done together.”

“download and start chatting with your own paradot today.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

WHILE SOME MAY MOCK THE IDEA –

OTHERS ARE MAKING MONEY OFF IT.

THIS IS REPLIKA’S WEBSITE.

IT’S THE MOST PROMINENT AI COMPANION APP.

“JOIN THE MILLIONS WHO ALREADY HAVE MET THEIR AI SOULMATES.”

THEY’RE NOT EXAGGERATING.

THE APP HAS MORE THAN 10 MILLION DOWNLOADS.

WHAT HAS FUELED THIS BOOM IN AI COMPANIONSHIP?

RESEARCHERS SAY THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND IT HAS MADE MAJOR ADVANCEMENTS IN RECENT YEARS.

MAKING THE AVATARS MORE REALISTIC THAN EVER.

[AI COMPANION AD]

“You have to think about this word ai that is in this. Its not a virtual gf, its an ai gf. So it learns from you, it learns what you like, what you don’t like, what pictures you like, pictures you don’t like.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

ANOTHER REASON – IS PEOPLE ARE LONELY.

MORE SPECIFICALLY ACCORDING TO SOME ANALYSTS – **MEN ARE LONELY.

AND ARE EXPLORING THIS NEW AVENUE AS A POTENTIAL FIX.

[Professor Liberty Vittert]

“I think we have to address the issue at the root of it which is where this loneliness starts”

“We also see psychologically that younger women have closer friends and they are not nearly as affected as young men in this sort of silent epidemic of loneliness.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD IT BEFORE –

A-I BEING DEEMED AS THE GREATEST THREAT TO HUMANITY.

BUT COULD IT ALSO BE THE GREATEST RISK TO RELATIONSHIPS AS WE KNOW THEM.