Single ladies, let’s be honest: the dating scene is tough these days. Dating apps don’t work like they used to and the options aren’t always ideal. And I won’t even get into the beast that is dating as a Christian woman over the age of 26. All that to say, you know the dating scene is taking a turn for the worse when women are turning to AI boyfriends for connection and comfort.
AI companion apps have been experiencing a surprising rise in popularity, according to a new report from Andreessen Horowitz, a capital marketing company. On their 2024 list of the top 100 generative AI consumer apps, eight different AI-generated companion apps debuted this year, up from just two in 2023. Additionally, engagement metrics on these apps are in a league of their own, with users logging more than ten times the number of sessions per month compared to general assistant apps, content generation apps and even messaging apps.
Notably, female AI users are increasingly using these companion apps, flipping the stereotype of socially awkward men chatting with AI girlfriends in their parents’ basements.
Most AI companion apps require users to create an account and provide personal information, including age and preferences. Users can customize their chatbot’s avatar and name, engaging in text messaging, voice chat, video, and even virtual avatars. Think of it like “The Sims” or “Second Life” (or “Second Second Life,” if you’re Dwight Schrute.)
Women have shared their experience with AI users online, stating that their virtual companions have helped “fill the emotional void” left by human partners and allowed them to realize they had been “settling big time.” And the companies behind these apps say they’re providing solutions for people struggling with connections.
But despite any potential benefits, AI companions cannot replace real human interactions. They lack the basic ability to make genuine eye contact, give hugs or form truly reciprocal relationships.
That’s something Irina Raicu is worried about. Raicu is the director of the Internet ethics program at Santa Clara University. She’s concerned that these companion apps could further erode human relationships and exacerbate the loneliness epidemic.
“It goes to the loneliness that so many people feel, and the way in which so many are not well prepared to deal with conflicts that inevitably arise among people with their own autonomy,” Raicu said. “We might get even worse if long-term, many of us fulfill our need for meaningful relationships by encounters with entities who have no rights, no interests, no needs of their own.”
