Stephen Downes

What's more interesting than the percentages outline throughout this survey (26 page PDF) are the descriptions of what it feels like to people who actually have AI companions. For example, "Once people begin using AI for personal purposes, many develop something that looks and feels like a relationship encompassing trust, emotional connection and a sense of being understood." And "Users feel AI understands them, sometimes better than other people do. They report they feel validated and they say they get good advice from their bot companion in social situations." Now I can easily imagine people responding "no, no, you shouldn't" but I'm on the side of people who need these things and haven't found it through traditional means for one reason or another.