There are more and more people who They have found a friend in AIa psychologist and even a romantic partner. “AI buddy” apps are increasingly popular and, same as in other aspects of the AI race, there are notable differences between the approach being taken from the United States and China, which is taking two directions marked by culture. In China, what is popular are AI boyfriends. In the United States, brides.
What is happening. They tell it in China Talk. There is a clear dichotomy in AI peer trends between the two countries leading the AI race. On the one hand we have a United States where AI brides aimed at the male audience and with a clear sexual focus succeed. On the other hand, in China, boyfriends aimed at female audiences and with a focus on narrative immersion and game mechanics are more popular.
Why is it important. Although with differences in approach, the rise of these apps reveals an underlying problem: widespread frustration with real human relationships. loneliness In a hyperconnected world, the ‘dating fatigue‘ of dating apps and other factors such as fear of rejection or marital failure are contributing to the use of these apps. According to this study that analyzed the 110 most popular AI companion apps, it is estimated that they have about 29 million active users per month, not counting more general use apps such as Replika either Character.aiwhere users can chat with various characters, not always for romantic purposes.
The American approach. In the aforementioned study, it was seen that more than half of AI bride apps are based in the United States, while only 10% are in China. They are products designed for heterosexual men and often have the word “girlfriend” in the name (17% compared to only 4% with the word “boyfriend”). According to a report by girlfriend.ai published by Reuters, half of the users who use this app are young men who feel lonely and prefer an AI girlfriend than face possible rejection. The influence of the ‘manosphere‘ also plays an important role with misogynistic discourses that paint AI girlfriends as an alternative to real relationships because they are more controllable and submissive.
The Chinese approach. Although there are also AI brides, the most successful format is the boyfriends aimed at the female public. One of the factors is the drop in marriage rateswhich in 2024 fell 20% compared to the previous year. There are many single people in China, but while many of single men live in rural areaswomen generally receive better education and move to cities, where it is easier for them to have access to technology. Furthermore, the advances in equality They have caused many women to deny the traditional family ideal and seek refuge in these pseudo-relationships.
Two concerns. In the United States there is an open debate about the effects of AI on mental health and specifically AI colleagues are in the spotlight. The Federal Trade Commission has made a requirement to some of the most popular apps to provide information on how they are controlling the negative impact of their technology, especially on children and adolescents. In the United States, concern centers on the risk of addiction, emotional manipulation, and loss of contact with reality.
In China too call for regulation to protect the youngest, but there is another reason that adds to their concern: the demographic crisis. They say in China Talk that, in the past, the strategy was to use the term “leftover women” in a derogatory way to push them to get married and have children (the classic “spinster” of a lifetime that the manosphere is resurrecting also in the West). In this sense, AI boyfriends pose a threat that can “distract” them from following the right path.
Image | Girlfriend.ai / Zhumengdao
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