The impacts of companion AI on human relationships: risks, benefits, and design considerations

Kim Malfacini

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Social Robot Interaction and HRI Ethics and Social Impacts of AI Innovative Human-Technology Interaction

Abstract

AI applications intended for companionship have increased in both availability and capabilities in recent years, alongside a spike in loneliness (Johnson 2023 ; Murthy 2023 ). According to a 2024 analysis by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, companion AI makes up 16 of the top 100 AI apps based on web traffic and monthly active users (Moore 2024 ). Moreover, today’s AI applications have a greater command of human language, an increasing capacity for storing memories, and more varied modalities to support an increasing diversity of experiences, a known driver in the development and deepening of emotional relationships (Skjuve et al. 2022 ).

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1995The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation.2017Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness 2000Positive psychology: An introduction.2010Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review 2015Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality 198611. Reasons and Persons 2020Basic psychological need theory: Advancements, critical themes, and future directions 2009Culture and the evolution of human cooperation

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