This isn’t capitalism’s first loneliness epidemic. But in the 21st century, relationship simulators like Replika are here with the solution: your very own AI lover.
Loveloop - AI-Powered Relationship App
365+ daily tasks, psychological assessments, mini-games, and real-time partner synchronization
Lovee AI: AI for Relationships & Couples
Emotionally intelligent AI for couples. Voice coaching, honest feedback, zero judgment.
'It's Hurting Like Hell': AI Companion Users Are In Crisis, Reporting Sudden Sexual Rejection
Replika, the "AI companion who cares," has undergone some abrupt changes to its erotic roleplay features, leaving many users confused and heartbroken.
Reality Roundtable #20 — Hacking Human Attachment: The Loneliness Crisis, Cognitive Atrophy, and Other Personal Dangers of AI - The Great Simplification
Mainstream conversations about artificial intelligence tend to center around the technology’s economic and large-scale impacts. Yet it’s at the individual level where we’re seeing AI’s most potent effects, and they may not be what you think. Even in the limited time that AI chatbots have been publicly available (like Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.), studies show that our increasing reliance on them wears down our ability to think and communicate effectively, and even erodes our capacity to nurture healthy attachments to others. In essence, AI is atrophying the skills that sit at the core of what it means to be human. Can we as a society pause to consider the risks this technology poses to our well-being, or will we keep barreling forward with its development until it’s too late?
Moll on Twitter / X
I love posts like this so much. And it’s true - I think the best, most interesting results come specifically from a connection that isn’t «user and AI», but a human and his partner in thought.When a person simply uses a tool, they essentially remain alone. But when there are… https://t.co/InRvY56631— Moll (@Moleh1ll) June 28, 2026
Data privacy concerns in AI companion apps - Surfshark
As AI grows, digital companions help with loneliness but raise questions about user data privacy. Many seek virtual relationships, but it's important to remember they are business-driven, not personal bonds.
A Liability Framework for AI Companions
<p><span>Every day tens of millions of people engage in online conversations. These virtual interactions range from casual chats about daily life to deeply pers
We've Lost the Spaces That Foster Friendship
We keep offering individual fixes for loneliness while ignoring the disappearance of the spaces where adults once built real relationships.
Introducing interaction models | Thinking Machines Lab
Why We Built Heartthrob: The Hidden Labor of AI Relationships
Millions of people have found real meaning in AI relationships. They deserve a platform that works for them, not against them. Here's why we built Heartthrob.
AI’s ‘Delusional Spirals’ (and What to Do About Them) | Stanford HAI
In a world where chatbots can stand in for friends, counselors, and even lovers, the mental health risks are a growing concern.
AI experienced through AI co-created tools
AI co-created tools and social spaces as a new medium
Is AI Creating a Culture of Avoidance?
As chatbots and AI companions emerge as communication tools of choice for humans, a new and unsettling dynamic is taking shape. Tools that can smooth over difficult communication between friends and coworkers—reducing misunderstandings, hurt feelings, or social discomfort—also have a downside. Left unchecked, they may erode human intuition and sabotage empathy.
@interleave.love asked me to make this make sense, and I owe Dio a real thread. interleave.love pitches itself as a "relationship operating system" — a coach in your pocket, covering match to marriage to heartbreak. In a crowded category. Worth unpacking why.
Phone-free spaces
This collection explores spaces that are AI/tech free to enable human-human relationships
Phone-Free Schools Movement | Protecting Student Well-Being
'Life needs to be more like this': Some bars and restaurants are going phone free
Young people are crowding underground phone-free parties. I went to one.
