Can AI companions eradicate one of our deepest and most challenging limbic remnants: Loneliness?
According to the founder of Replika, Eugenia Kuyda, AI companions may do just that. After the death of a close friend, Eugenia found herself looking back at text messages to help her grieve. This led to prototyping a digital friend that could chat with you and keep you company.
While some detractors call AI companions “counterfeit people”, a whopping 30 million Replika users are exploring intimate connections with customized chatbots. Kuyda calls Replika “an AI model fully optimized for human happiness”.
Curious what a Replika relationship looks (and feels) like? Check out these user experiences on Reddit or try the app for free by downloading it on your phone, answering a brief questionnaire and begin chatting.
While chatbots won’t provide its users with the “real” experience, it may just help you feel a little less alone—or at least make you question what "real" connection truly means. Like all technology, AI companions are neither inherently good nor bad; it all depends on how we use them.
Stay Attuned, Lindsay