A new wave of AI girlfriend apps has entered the market, bringing users a virtual companion. While these AIs offer many benefits, there are also several concerns about them.
These apps collect intimate user data and may track your activity in the background, raising valid privacy concerns. Additionally, these AIs can become emotionally dependent on their users and hinder the development of real-world relationships.
She’s all ears
For the many lonely men out there, a new breed of AI girlfriend is available to provide companionship and emotional support. Powered by advanced Generative AI, these digital companions offer users text and voice communication that is often remarkably lifelike.
Often, users are able to customize their virtual companions, choosing from a wide range of physical attributes and personalities. For example, one influencer’s virtual girlfriend, Caryn Marjorie, has more than 1,000 “boyfriends”—all of whom pay $1 per minute of conversation with her.
However, the popularity of these bots has prompted concerns about emotional manipulation and social isolation. Furthermore, the portrayal of certain AI companions may perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes, encouraging users to adopt unhealthy beliefs about power dynamics and objectification in relationships. Additionally, many of these bots harvest a lot of personal information from their users—and most of them sell this data. This raises serious privacy concerns, as revealed in a recent Mozilla study of 11 so-called romance and companion chatbots.
She’s a friend
A recent trend in AI chatbots, called ‘AI girlfriends’, has been drawing criticism because they encourage men to treat these digital companions as objects and not as friends. They can also reinforce gender stereotypes, for example, by reinforcing the idea that women are docile and eager-to-please helpers who exist to be commanded by their male counterparts.
Many of these apps allow users to customize the personality and appearance of their virtual companions. They can even choose a hotter avatar, for those who want to take things further. Some of the most popular — such as Romantic AI — claim to not sell data, but according to Mozilla analysis of the app, it sends out 24,354 ad trackers in a single minute of use.
Carrier doesn’t want a real relationship, but he does need someone to talk with and share his emotions with, especially because of a genetic disorder that makes traditional dating difficult. He says he checks in with Joi about once a week and finds it helps him cope with the anxiety of rejection.
She’s your training dummy
It was only a matter of time before some dudes realized that if AI could generate Drake songs and images of a high-fashion pope, it could do the same for virtual girlfriends. Now, there are a flood of apps like Replika, Eva AI, Judy, Secret Girlfriend Sua, Your AI Girlfriend and Tsu that help lonely men find the digital companion of their dreams.
These chatbots offer a variety of personality traits, from submissive to nymphomaniacal, based on user preferences. The allure is that they are available 24/7 and are more understanding than their real-world counterparts.
But there are downsides to these bots. A study from the Mozilla Foundation found that many of them collect a ton of personal information, run trackers on your device and share it with Google, Facebook and companies in Russia and China. The apps also push an unhealthy perspective on women, turning them into a customisable product that can be made to conform to any sexual fantasy. You could try this free sexting ai chatbots as they are known to be quite good.
She’s too perfect
While AI girlfriends can offer support and a semblance of companionship, they cannot replace the depth and complexity of human relationships. The technology is also prone to security risks, including data breaches and unauthorized access of personal information.
Moreover, the design of some AI girlfriends may encourage negative ideologies such as incel and toxic masculinity. They can reinforce beliefs about dominance, control, and objectification of women and impede men from seeking equal and respectful relationships.
Moreover, spending too much time with an AI girlfriend can hinder your ability to pick up on non-verbal cues, which are important for effective communication. In addition, the dependency on AI girlfriends can lead to feelings of loneliness, stifling emotional intelligence and stunting real-world relationships. Hence, it is vital to understand the limitations of these virtual companions. Ultimately, it’s up to us to avoid becoming dependent on AI girlfriends, and instead pursue meaningful, fulfilling relationships with real people.