There’s a lot we can get out of an AI companion, but there is less we can give, Denise Marigold and Christine Logel write

There’s a lot we can get out of an AI companion, but there is less we can give, Denise Marigold and Christine Logel write

Chatbots that relieve loneliness have a major downside, and we must safeguard against it.

Though companions such as those on Replika, Character.AI, and Nomi offer relentless validation, they cannot reciprocate care, leading to one-sided relationships

Generative AI companions offer constant availability and support for lonely individuals. However, these virtual relationships risk dependency and displacing genuine human…