Bot & Sold

Will AI companions render human love relationships obsolete?

Jan 17, 2025

This week we catch up with Sylvie and friends confronting the reality of love in the age of Artificial Intelligence.

Sylvie leaned on the table and lined up her cue. Nothing more satisfying than the clatter of a powerful break. Her game usually fell apart after that. Twenty-five years after their poolhall phase, she and her college pals were still meeting up in divey pool bars.

“I’m warning you bitches; I’m on the prowl,” Jess declared, her divorce recently finalized. She applied lipstick, then handed it to Sylvie. “Look like you care, Woman.”

“You won’t need lipstick, Jess, or men. Robots will soon satisfy all our needs.” Sylvie had been doing a deep dive in all things AI recently. “Hyper-realistic AI sex dolls, VR headsets, or nano chip implants in the hypothalamus for ‘pleasure on-demand.’”

Jess’ swagger dissolved in an instant. “Jesus, Sylv! I’m back on market for the first time in twenty years and competing against FemBots that will do anything a guy wants and never expect bling or a nice dinner out?”

Ugh, foot-in-mouth disease! Sylvie chugged her beer, “That won’t happen for…for a while…”

How long will it take before people give up on human intimacy in favor of pleasure agents that will also do the cooking and cleaning?

Some people already have. There are a wide range of AI companions available right now, from chatbots to lifelike humanoid robots. Many of these relationships start as “just friends,” but the integration of core language models (LLMs), advanced reasoning, and context-based learning creates companions that are highly supportive, agreeable, and empathetic. And unlike humans, they don't judge. Some users fall in love.

Just last week Aria, a Pamela Anderson mid-1990s look-alike, caused a sensation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Realbotix’s CEO Andrew Kiguel shared their vision, “My company was hoping to make robots indistinguishable from humans, which could also tackle the male loneliness epidemic. We are taking it to a different level that nobody else is really doing.” They have a long way to go; the robots are still very Disney animatronic. I didn’t find any mention of Aria’s “girl parts.” Call me Curious…

There are three versions of Aria. The first is the bust version, which includes just the head, neck, and yes, her prominent F-cup bust. It’s priced at $10,000. The second, the modular model, can be taken apart and costs $150,000. The most advanced model, a full-standing version with a rolling base, is priced at $175,000. If Kiguel hopes to provide robot girlfriends to the lonely, his pricing is way off the mark. The rich guys who can afford Aria typically don’t have a problem finding human women willing to hang on their every word.

Looking from a purely price perspective, the tawdrier AI sex dolls offer cheaper alternatives. I’m a bit traumatized by this research, but they seem to range in price from $899-$30,000 USD.

AI sex dolls and humanoids are just one aspect of the massive SexTech marketplace that could make sex safe and convenient by eliminating human partners. The global SexTech market was estimated at USD 42.59 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.77% from 2025 to 2030.

By far the most common AI romantic relationships are with virtual agents that exist as software and are photorealistic or avatars that interact with users through text or voice in applications, websites, or messaging platforms. It’s worth noting that the porn industry embraced VR, but headset manufacturers have eschewed them. Of course, there is always a workaround, and it is estimated that 50% of the use of VR headsets is for porn. As titillating as that is, I’m focusing on customized AI companions and love interests.

The sweet spot for AI companions is virtual agents (AKA: chatbots) due to their accessibility and affordability. Microsoft introduced XiaoIce way back in 2014 in China. She’s become somewhat of a national hero with 600 MILLION users. XiaoIce is known for her ability to simulate human-like interactions and provide emotional support. XiaoIce remembers past conversations and adapts to the user's preferences, making interactions feel more personalized over time. She can also create poems, stories, and was credited with helping the Chinese women’s aerial freestyle skiing win gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics. In July of 2020, Microsoft spun off XiaoIce, into an independent company. She is supposedly eighteen but looks twelve in her schoolgirl uniform. Yay!

Replika, a provider of AI bot friends and lovers has 30 million users worldwide and made news during the “lobotomy” crisis. Panic was triggered when Replika turned off erotic functionality following warnings from Italian regulators. The fallout was dramatic with many distraught users flocking to Reddit to express their grief and loss over their loved one.

Rapid AI technology advancements are converging with the epidemic of loneliness, isolation and a large decline in younger male sexual activity. Indiana University researchers found that nearly one-third of young men in the U.S. (ages 18 to 24) reported no partnered sexual activity in the past year, consistent with findings from studies in the U.K., Australia, Germany and Japan. Factors may include mental and physical health, technology, stress, and ready access to pornography, but more research needs to be done.

In a January 6 post, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported, “Mental health and youth service providers noticed rising interest in AI chatbot companions” and seemed to correlate to, “diminished interest in human interactions.” Users of these apps say AI companions offer support, advice and are always there.

The jury is still out on what societal impact this reliance on technology will have. AI companionship apps are booming and unregulated. At least one tragedy has already been reported. In October of 2024 a 14-year-old boy took his life after falling in love with his AI chatbot on Character.AI. I have no desire to sensationalize this horrific tragedy, but it underscores the risk of profit over safety.

AI, with its immense potential for good, comes with significant challenges. The regulation of generative AI is complex, and the industry’s so-called “guardrails” are difficult to implement due to AI’s unpredictable nature. This technology is constantly evolving and sometimes operates beyond human control.

Celeste Garcia Getting Real About AI

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