In the 2013 movie Her, a lonely man going through a difficult divorce finds himself falling in love with an artificial intelligence (AI) companion.
When that movie came out, AI wasn’t developed enough to provide people with companionship. But today, over 100 million people around the world are using AI chatbot companions that can provide friendship, advice — and even romantic relationships.
Many people use AI companions because, just like in the movie Her, they feel lonely.
However, a 2023 study found that AI companions could be addictive, and some experts warn that they could be used to manipulate people or collect their personal data.
There are also concerns that young people using AI companions won’t learn how to have relationships with real people — who, unlike chatbots, don’t agree with you all the time.
However, it’s not just young people who are using AI companions.
Alex Cardinell, CEO of the AI companionship app Nomi, told NBC News that his app has attracted users of all ages and genders — and a large percentage of them are older users.
“There’s a big elder loneliness epidemic going on right now,” Cardinell said.
And for some people, an AI companion can offer useful tips on managing relationships in the real world.
Travis Peacock, who has autism and ADHD, told The Guardian that he had trouble managing romantic and professional relationships until he trained ChatGPT to offer him advice on how to manage social interactions.
One year later, Peacock says he now has a network of friends, a healthy long-term romantic relationship, and has enjoyed “one of the most productive years of my life.”
Others, though, may turn to AI companions out of disappointment with real relationships.
One user called Sakura told NBC News that although a lot of people think she uses AI because she is lonely, “It’s like, no, no, you’re going to an AI because people are jerks.”
