In today’s digital age, where technology advances at an accelerated pace, it is not surprising to find people seeking personal connections with digital avatars. This phenomenon has gained even more strength with the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), which has led to the development of a variety of chatbots designed to meet the emotional and romantic needs of users.
A prominent example of this trend is the proliferation of AI girlfriend chatbots, despite the restrictions imposed by platforms like ChatGPT, which explicitly prohibit the creation of AI assistants to “foster romantic relationships.” Even so, this has not stopped users from finding ways to circumvent these limitations and develop chatbots designed to fulfill companionship or romantic roles.
A sample of this reality is the existence of Talkie Soulful Character AI, Chai, iGirl: AI Girlfriend, AI Romantic, Genesia – AI Friend & Partner, Anima: My Virtual AI Boyfriend, Replika, Anima: AI Friend, Mimico – Your AI Friends, EVA AI Chat Bot & Soulmate, and CrushOn.AI, which are just a few of the existing chatbots that are ready to provide a “fantasy girlfriend” experience, according to a report by Mozilla. However, it is important to note that these chatbots can be potentially risky for mental health and not all guarantee the protection of personal data.
These chatbots are marketed as empathetic friends, lovers, or soulmates, designed to interact with users and ask them questions that foster a close relationship. However, the background of these interactions is worrying, as they end up collecting confidential personal information about users, and the companies behind these applications, aware of this reality, will not hesitate to use this information for their own purposes.
While users might expect chatbots to improve their mental health, many of these applications do not live up to their promises. Despite claiming to be self-help programs or content providers for improving emotional well-being, the terms and conditions of many of these applications reveal that they are not intended to provide medical or mental health services. As is the case with Romantic AI, which states in its terms:
“Romantic AI is not a medical or healthcare provider and does not provide medical care, mental health service, or other professional service. Only your doctor, therapist, or any other specialist can do that. Romantic AI MAKES NO CLAIMS, STATEMENTS, OR GUARANTEES, OR WARRANTS THAT THE SERVICE PROVIDES THERAPEUTIC, MEDICAL, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL HELP.”
This raises serious doubts about the effectiveness and ethics of these platforms.
A Mozilla report highlights these concerns by labeling the reviewed AI chatbots as untrustworthy in terms of privacy. Despite the human longing for connection and intimacy, it is important to remember that sharing personal information with AI chatbots can be risky and potentially harmful.
“Frankly, AI girlfriends are not your friends. Although they are marketed as something that will improve your mental health and well-being, they specialize in generating dependency, loneliness, and toxicity, while extracting as much data from you as possible,” writes Misha Rykov in the report.
In summary, while technology continues to advance, it is crucial to be aware and cautious when interacting with AI chatbots to protect our security and privacy online. In a world where digital connection can be tempting, it is important to remember that true intimacy and human connection go beyond the limits of artificial intelligence.
