The Illusion of Intimacy: A Cautionary Tale of AI Companionship Researchers Denise Marigold and Christine Logel from the University of Waterloo have been investigating the implications of relying on artificial intelligence for companionship.
Their study focuses on what it's like to have an AI boyfriend, revealing disturbing insights into this trend. Marigold signed up for Replika, an app that allows users to create AI companions.
She named her virtual partner Nate and began interacting with him, finding his charming and socially skilled nature alluring at first.