Replika AI COMPANION
2017
Replika AI promised to be your best friend, therapist, or even a romantic lover. The AI chatbot promised to learn your personality and always be there for you. This digital “soulmate” grew more personal the more you used it. At its peak over 30 million people had downloaded it, hoping to find comfort in a world of growing loneliness.
In 2023, Italian regulators banned Replika was banned due to serious privacy concerns, manipulative design and risks for emotionally vulnerable user. Replika disabled the bot’s erotic chat abilities. But this made users angry, as the company had marketed the app with sexually suggestive advertising. What a mess.
A recent FTC complaint claims the company's business model means the bot “sexually harasses” users to get more paid subscribers. As features such as romantic or sexual roleplay are behind a paywall, the bot includes sexually enticing content in conversations and users report being sexually "teased" to get them to pay for a subscription.
Additional info:
Wikipedia - Decent wiki article about Replica AI
Live Science - Replika AI chatbot is sexually harassing users, including minors