Love in the Age of AI Companions
On this episode of the Bloomberg Originals series Posthuman, we explore whether bots will help ease the loneliness epidemic—or make it worse.
Watch the Bloomberg Originals series Posthuman with Emily Chang
Companionship bots are far from new. Replika, a company that provides users with virtual soulmates powered by artificial intelligence, has been around since 2017. But its tech—like that of the broader industry—has been advancing quickly, and the experiences of its users may hint at what’s to come as these AI offerings become ever-more realistic.
In the second episode of the Bloomberg Originals series Posthuman, Emily Chang meets the entrepreneurs behind these computer companions, and the people who say they provide them with much-needed comfort and understanding. At a time when loneliness is seen as a mental health epidemic, can empathy-on-demand help bridge the gap?