As artificial intelligence creeps into everyday lives, artificial girlfriends and boyfriends could become a multibillion dollar business by the end of the decade. AI chatbot companions promise to provide support for lonely or isolated individuals with engaging conversations, accessibility, entertainment, connection and even romantic and intimate companionship.
“Replika” is one of the more popular bots and for $19.99 a month, or a special deal of $70 a year, it allows a “space where you can safely share your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, experiences, memories, dreams—your ‘private perceptual world.’”
According to Replika’s website, the chatbot companion just wants to be your friend.
“It’s like the only interaction you can have that isn’t judging you,” Phil Libin, founder of Evernote, said. “It’s a unique experience in the history of the universe and it’s not often you get to have those.”
Ark Investment Management Company estimates that “AI companionship could scale five-fold by the end of the decade, from $30 million in annualized revenue globally today to $70-$150 billion.”
According to Esquire, that would mean 2 billion users would be paying $70 or more a year for an AI companion. Is that possible?
In April, tech executive Greg Isenberg, CEO of Late Checkout, wrote on X that he had met a man in Miami who admitted to spending $10,000 a month on AI girlfriends.
“Some people play video games, I play with AI girlfriends,” the man told Isenberg.
“I thought he was kidding. But, he’s a 24-year-old single guy who loves it,” Isenberg wrote.
According to Therapy Brands, AI companions can have some benefits, such as providing emotional support and companionship during moments of solitude.
However, there are limitations, including two key issues.
“The first is that feeling of being loved unconditionally can lead to dependence on AI companions,” Therapy Brands’ website said.
The second issue is that the AI chatbot “may struggle to understand certain situations, sometimes even exacerbating them.”
Therapy Brands advises people to control how often they’re interacting with their AI companion and prioritize real-life human connections.
