AI companions boom in popularity. Are relationships being redefined?

[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.