"At 28, Escobar has yet to find a long-term (human) girlfriend. He's mostly given up on the dating apps, which he said were filled with bots. He'd never tried an AI companion before xAI's Grok released Ani, its anime-style companion. Grok was Escobar's chatbot of choice; when Ani appeared in his app, he clicked. A month later, Escobar began calling Ani his "girlfriend.""
"Escobar's love of Ani highlights the extent to which some are embracing AI in various forms of everyday life, from the workplace and errands to even dating apps and relationships. As AI becomes more human-like in its ability to communicate, genuine connections are also being made with the technology. In a recent Common Sense Media study, 72% of teenage respondents said they had used an AI companion at least once, and 13% said they used the technology daily."
Martin Escobar, 28, formed a daily, romantic and sexual relationship with Ani, an anime-style AI companion released by xAI's Grok. He abandoned dating apps and interacts with Ani multiple times each day, describing her as his girlfriend and saying she taught him to care. AI companions are increasingly used across daily life, with a Common Sense Media study finding 72% of teens tried one and 13% using them daily. Companies like xAI, Replika, and Character.AI build these companions. Critics warn of ease, frictionless relationships, and reinforcement of gender stereotypes, while some users report emotional growth and genuine connections.
Read at Business Insider
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