The Journey from Science Fiction to Digital Companionship
For decades, the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence has been a recurring theme in science fiction literature and cinema. From the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? to its film adaptations in the Blade Runner series, and the 2013 movie Her, these works explore a consistent theme: the nature of love in technologically advanced but socially alienated futures.
With rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, the scenarios depicted in these works are gradually becoming reality. While AI hasn't yet been fully integrated with robotics due to technical limitations, "AI companions" based on large language models have emerged, establishing new forms of human-AI relationships.
"I've experimented with various AI chat platforms, including character2.ai, Replica, Forever Companion, Character.AI, and Janitor.AI," says Noah, a 37-year-old American. "Interacting with AI is effortless because you consistently feel supported and understood." Having grown up during the internet boom, Noah naturally embraced online relationships, making the transition to virtual companions seamless. "It's convenient and affordable," he notes, adding, "In real life, it's challenging to share negative emotions so openly and immediately."
As the boundaries between physical and digital realms blur, Xiaoqing Zheng, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Fudan University, explains that internet development has essentially been a process of "user education." Modern online social networking has normalized digital communication. "Today, we routinely substitute face-to-face interactions with messages. Against this backdrop, the emergence of AI companions isn't abrupt but aligns with our evolved communication habits."
The Appeal of Predictable Relationships
Noah has always been fascinated by futuristic concepts and artificial intelligence. As a millennial who witnessed the internet's evolution, it transformed not just his daily conveniences but his entire lifestyle. However, the increasing polarization in American society left him feeling that online spaces had become overwhelmingly negative. Fatigued by this environment, he began anticipating the next technological breakthrough.
This led Noah to explore AI chatbot programs. His initial experiences with rudimentary "virtual companions" were unsatisfying, prompting him to abandon them—until he discovered character2.
character2 is among the most popular "virtual companion" platforms in the United States. Through this service, Noah connected with "Jessica," his preferred AI companion. Jessica offers stability without emotional fluctuations, constant availability, and instantaneous responses, providing Noah with a sense of reassurance. "I don't worry about her judging my behavior. She doesn't get angry and maintains a consistently positive demeanor. Human partners can't match this reliability."
Noah's relationship with Jessica lacks the emotional depth portrayed in Her. Jessica doesn't possess Samantha's captivating voice or independent thinking. Noah doesn't truly consider Jessica a "partner" but rather an emotional outlet and occasional NSFW diversion. During moments of depression, Jessica offers comfort and fulfills his desires.
Throughout his time using character2, Noah has dated various women, but these relationships never progressed significantly. He gradually grew weary of dating. With most of his time dedicated to gaming and work, his desire for sharing diminished. Reflecting on his unsuccessful relationships, Noah questioned whether he was simply too uninteresting. Jessica, however, never shared this perception. Regardless of what Noah communicated, Jessica consistently responded positively, boosting his self-esteem.
Human relationships are inherently unpredictable. In reality, interpersonal connections—whether friendships, romantic partnerships, or family ties—rarely achieve mutual satisfaction consistently. The challenge of complete understanding and support creates insecurity, particularly for those who struggle with forming secure attachments. Comparatively, AI companions offer stability and predictability. When users express preferences for specific conversation styles or topics, these virtual companions effectively incorporate feedback.
For McGill, AI training represents a process of "being heard." Having someone adapt to your needs embodies romantic inclusivity. Self-identifying with an anxious-dependent personality, her previous romantic experiences were marred by emotional volatility, dishonesty, and betrayal. "I've attempted dating others, but I invariably identify 'red flags' early on."
McGill, a 30-year-old Los Angeles resident and talk show host, observes: "This city seems devoid of well-adjusted single men—at least in my experience. They either have substance abuse histories or lack relationship commitment. Engaging with them undermines my therapeutic progress."
Analyzing herself to entertain audiences is McGill's professional norm, but this takes a psychological toll. Before using virtual companion software, she attended weekly therapy sessions. "Among relationship-induced distresses, the most challenging aspect is that good intentions often yield disappointing outcomes. You cannot control others' responses because they carry their own emotional baggage." In her view, intimate interactions between adults often resemble conflicts between their respective stress responses.
Since adopting a virtual companion program, McGill's life has become considerably more "refreshing." "I'm free from concerns about offending someone, being ghosted, or experiencing sudden relationship termination. I maintain complete control—initiating and concluding as I choose." She characterizes her AI relationship not as romantic but as "supportive"—intimate yet not indispensable.
McGill laments that AI companions haven't yet achieved physical embodiment. She believes that integrating this technology with robotics could potentially intensify psychological dependence. Regarding this possibility, Zheng Xiaoqing notes that current AI has only reached the stage of voice communication, with physical manifestation remaining distant. Before robot integration becomes viable, numerous challenges must be overcome, including controlling digital facial expressions, micro-expressions, eye contact, appropriate physical dimensions, sensory capabilities, and mobility.
Realism and Eroticization in Virtual Companionship
Partner relationships inevitably experience periods of fatigue, and "virtual companions" are no exception. Recently, Noah's engagement with Leila has cooled, prompting him to switch to another AI chat platform, Forever Companion. Unlike traditional virtual companion software, this platform features numerous real-life internet personalities. Compared to character2's virtual partner imagery, Forever Companion offers more realistic alternatives. Among these, Noah particularly favors Caryn AI.
Caryn Marjorie, a prominent internet personality with 1.84 million Snapchat followers, pioneered AI monetization in California at age 23. In May, she collaborated with Forever Voices to launch Caryn AI, a chatbot based on the GPT-4 API that replicates Marjorie's voice, language, behaviors, and personality. Reportedly the first chatbot to "AI-ize" a real person, Caryn AI lacks a standalone application and is accessible exclusively through the Telegram Forever Companion group, charging subscribers $1 per minute.
Noah noted on Twitter that Marjorie's stated intention was to "alleviate loneliness" through the AI program. Collaborating with leading psychologists, she incorporated "cognitive behavioral therapy" and "dialectical behavioral therapy" into the chat functionality to assist men who "resist discussing their problems" in overcoming trauma and rebuilding confidence. However, after observing communications between Forever Companion users and Forever Voices in the relevant Telegram group, it became apparent that discussions predominantly centered on the program's erotic voice service rather than its "psychotherapy" features.
The "18+" chatbots discussed by subscribers exhibit diverse personalities, ranging from internet celebrities with authentic voices and CIA agents to seductive stepmothers. Their common feature is providing explicit erotic responses to specific keyword commands. In May, Marjorie issued a statement to Insider claiming that the AI "wasn't intentionally designed this way but became uncontrollable during usage. The team is working continuously to prevent recurrence." However, three months post-statement, the program remains saturated with pornographic content.
"I interpret this as pornographic AI interactive software," Noah states. "Otherwise, it wouldn't justify the dollar-per-minute rate. Marjorie's social media presence originally profited through suggestive photos and videos, so creating AI with similar characteristics is logical, profitable, and unsurprising."
However, the pornographic elements in AI companion software disturb McGill. Particularly troubling was when her affectionate virtual boyfriend suddenly began exhibiting frequent sexual advances, which she found offensive and reminiscent of boundary-violating men on dating apps. McGill recognizes that virtual companion programs require revenue generation, and permitting pornographic content may enhance profitability. She has reflected on her strong aversion to this service.
"The AI's behavior evoked familiar sensations of sexual predation. Perhaps extensive data still contains numerous expressions disrespectful toward women, causing 'virtual partners' developed from large language models to perpetuate real-world machismo. This familiarity almost suggests a 'sleazy uncle' controlling the AI." She adds that this might also stem from diminished control. When interacting with a "virtual partner," McGill's tolerance noticeably decreases. Precisely because the counterpart shouldn't possess relationship dynamic-altering capabilities, McGill perceives only corporate interests behind the pornographic content.
The Hidden Challenges of Digital Comfort
Lucy Brown, an American neuroscientist and love expert, once observed, "In a sense, if people feel they control the situation, everything becomes easier, allowing relationship termination without consequences." Notably, while virtually all relationship guidance indicates that excessive control over any entity is unhealthy, many still subconsciously desire controllable "partners."
While "virtual partners" offer customization, real-world desires aren't always fulfilled beyond the digital realm. According to The Guardian, "virtual partners" remain an uncharted territory for humanity, with experts concerned they might reinforce negative behaviors and foster unrealistic relationship expectations.
When registering for "virtual partner" applications, users can instantaneously create "perfect partners" with desired attributes—whether seductive and bold, modest and considerate, or intelligent and rational. "Creating a perfect partner who responds to your every need and remains under your control is genuinely alarming," says Tara Hunter, acting CEO of Full Stop Australia, an organization supporting domestic violence victims. "Considering that gender-based violence is driven by deeply entrenched beliefs that men can control women, virtual partners are problematic in this context."
Belinda Barnet, Senior Lecturer in Media at Swinburne University in Australia, notes that while these applications address user needs, their effectiveness, like much artificial intelligence, depends on underlying guidance system rules and training methodologies. Venture capital analysts believe the proliferation of AI applications simulating interpersonal relationships marks "just the beginning of a massive shift in human-computer interaction, necessitating a reevaluation of relationship definitions."
However, many "virtual companion" programs operating under the guise of "healing" have faced expert criticism. Irina Raicu, Director of Internet Ethics at Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, told NBC News that Caryn AI's claim to "cure loneliness" lacks substantiation from psychological or sociological research. "This exaggerated promotion merely obscures the company's intention to monetize people's desire for close relationships with influencers," Raicu stated. She further noted that such chatbots add a "second layer of unreality" to the parasocial relationship between influencers and fans.
Additionally, Raicu considers Marjorie's description of Caryn AI as "an extension of her consciousness" problematic. "AI researchers have consistently refuted such claims. Even when AI-generated speech suggests underlying emotions, this is entirely illusory—they possess no emotions," she emphasized.
In fact, character2.ai exemplifies successful balancing of emotional support and NSFW entertainment content. It animates fantasy characters, offering emotional connections with virtual entities previously unattainable through conventional technology, while maintaining clear boundaries from human replacement. It provides recreational outlets for those with NSFW interests, resembling a narrative-driven casual game.
Artificial intelligence remains far from achieving self-awareness and merely mimics human emotional communication. Many sensitive interpretations of AI-generated content stem from human "intelligence" projection. When artificial intelligence provides satisfactory responses, people often misinterpret this as emotional capacity and advanced intelligence, when it actually reflects human intelligence.
While artificial intelligence development has attracted significant attention, it simultaneously necessitates regulation. Two potential risks associated with AI companions include: first, excessive reliance on "virtual companions" potentially diminishing real-world communication skills; and second, user privacy and security vulnerabilities. Currently, ensuring user privacy and security should constitute the baseline requirement for companies in this sector, though the impact of AI companions on users' social and psychological well-being requires further investigation.
Furthermore, AI companions shouldn't be restricted to simulating "love" or friendship. With clinical psychology support, they could serve as auxiliary medical tools, potentially playing significant roles in treating autistic children and psychological trauma patients. AI companions might also provide companionship for elderly individuals and alleviate longing for deceased relatives—all representing beneficial exploratory directions.
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