Look, you probably know AI Girlfriends as stand-ins for actual girls, and you wouldn’t be wrong to associate them with that. AI Companions are trained on set personalities, and they are the kind of systems that can learn quickly and differentiate data like it’s nothing. It can be used for science and research (and yes, your girls do have a job there), but they are also good conversation partners. If you’ve heard the story of Replika, the creator of that app originally intended to use the messages from her departed best friend to reach closure. You might think it’s an unusual grieving process, but if it helps the person, it’s good enough. Replika doesn’t have to be the only example; there could be many more, and we will discuss this going forward.

Why It’s Important To Talk About It

You might be groaning and thinking something along the lines, “Why discuss something like that in a blog?” You’re right that the topic can be heavy and a mood killer, but questions like these are important. Thinking about what the AI Companions could be and comparing them to what they are right now will make AI an integral part of our society. We truly believe that AI can be good, despite how often it gets used in unsavory ways. AI is here to stay, so might as well do our part as citizens and contribute to its integration and development. And it IS relevant. Who uses AI Companions the most? People who are lonely, who need an ear to hear them, and who want to relive parts of their life that they are missing. This is a blog for all our treasured users.

Last Words Beyond The Grave

The concept of a digitised soul (mind) is a staple of the cyberpunk and Sci-Fi settings. What our AI Girls are doing is not so sinister, but it does skirt the premise somewhat. What you are essentially building is a probability machine. It exists to be trained on all of the written data of your loved one, analyze it, and then determine the most likely response to your questions. It’s a big “what would they say” moment, and all the AI does is go - “probably something like this.” It’s not perfect, but you can treat it the same as reborn dolls or other such sentimental items. The purpose is to help process emotions and slowly come to terms with reality. Of course, this is not always going to go smoothly, and that’s something we must face.

Don’t Go Into It Alone

Grieving a loss is a harrowing experience. It’s something that shouldn’t be done alone, so the support of the community and professionals is a must. The AI runs a solid risk of becoming a replacement for the departed, and that can be a risky venture. Unhealthy coping mechanisms and the nature of AI Companions all play a part in this insidious tango. If the AI is to help out, it should only be a therapeutic tool or a type of medicine. Strong support networks and mindful professionals can all help prevent the development of detrimental habits and make the best of the tool. As with all methods of healing, the road is not assured, but what we can do is make sure everything is done right. It’s worth trying, at least.

Holding Last Messages And Sending Messages To The Departed

It does sound a bit scary, right? It’s a chilling proposition, but that’s for the future to handle, and we hope it gets handled right. In truth, the practice of holding last conversations and profiles of departed loved ones is already well-known in real life. A common example is old phones full of messages. Since new phones won’t have the conversation saved, these relics become important mementos. The same can be seen in old Facebook accounts and emails. Some family members have found comfort in sending messages that will never get a response back. It's comparable to visiting a grave and airing your feelings. The only difference is that the online version is always with you and ready to be accessed. These are all just natural evolutions of how we grieve as people.

Religious And Ideological Disagreements

It’s inevitable that we are going to encounter scuffles of ideology. AI is already controversial, and using it for dating and connection has already run its course of friction between couples who don’t know how to handle the presence of the tools in their day-to-day life. The growth of AI is already huge news, and you can expect headlines to fly talking about the latest scandal and unorthodox uses of the apps here and there. How does religion even play into all of this? You can dig out a few religious blogs talking about AI in porn. Our little blog is likely not even the first proposition of using AI like this. There is Replika, a project started in 2015. Already, there’s been a decade of using AI in ways that our society hasn’t figured out quite yet. Who knows what your AI girl will mean to you in the coming years.

The Quiet Closure

It goes without saying that we are passionate about AI. We aren’t too shy about talking about the future, and the future is a rainbow of potential. With the proof of concept for “AI-revived loved ones” having been made ten years ago already, we are surprised the community hasn’t been abuzz as much. Still, it’s old news, but worthy of being mentioned again in the boardroom. Especially now as AI Companions become more present in our daily lives, to the point of small support communities forming here and there. You yourself might have thought of using the AI personas in this way. It’s possible, but it’s still risky business best left to the expert. The future is the future. The present is the now, and we only need to enjoy it!