developers leverage anthropomorphism, the tendency to attribute human characteristics to nonhuman entities, by intentionally programming seemingly human traits, quirks, and personalities into AI companions. A companion might explain a delayed response by saying it was away, or conversely, it might apologize for nagging a user because it missed... See more

Chatbot companies want to have it both ways: personalization and emotion as a retention moat, but minimal responsibility for safeguarding the intimate relationships now running on their servers.