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AI Companionship

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yesterday

One of my friends has found AI immensely helpful for organizing and catalyzing her thoughts before she shares concerns with her boyfriend. Another friend seeks AI assistance in turning his complaints into feelings, needs and requests. Still another put all his texts and emails from a former partner into AI and asked AI to analyze trends. As a result of this analysis, he not only decided to end a harmful relationship but was able to stick with his decision despite immense pressure, confident in the data trends presented to him. Still another friend who works in the creative industry asks AI for marketing ideas so she knows what NOT to do—every suggestion has already been done! In these instances, AI served to enhance cooperation, boundary-setting, and creativity. These are not isolated events: A recent meta-analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials revealed that companion AI significantly reduced symptoms of depression and distress in various clinical and subclinical populations (Xi et al., 2023).

And yet? In an episode of South Park (S27, E1), Randy Marsh confides in his AI chatbot about his parenting concerns, while his wife angrily stews in silence in the bed next to him. Case studies continue to emerge of individuals forming intimate relationships (even marrying AI) with potentially dangerous consequences, like an assassination attempt on the queen of England (Heritage, 2025). Even when chatbots are not hallucinating or giving bad advice, they cannot offer the support that is needed in a crisis, as chronicled in a recent suicide (Reiley, 2025). While AI can meet........

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