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AI companions can relieve loneliness – but here are 4 red flags to watch for in your chatbot ‘friend’

  • Written by: Dan Weijers, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, Co-editor International Journal of Wellbeing, University of Waikato
AI companions can relieve loneliness – but here are 4 red flags to watch for in your chatbot ‘friend’Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

It’s been seven years since the launch of Replika, an artificially intelligent chatbot designed to be a friend to human users. Despite early warnings about the dangers of such AI friends, interest in friendships and even romantic relationships with AI is on the rise.

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