Here’s What it Feels Like to Talk to AI “Companion”

“The AI companion who cares. Always here to listen and talk. Always on your side.”

This is the pitch you see once you end up on the landing page of Replika, an AI-powered chatbot designed to become your best friend, or maybe even lover, effortlessly.

To do that, you first need to register, either by connecting your Google or Apple account or by creating a profile from scratch. It is straightforward: All you have to do is write down your name, indicate your date of birth, and choose your pronouns—he/him, they/them, or she/her. 

Though the service is slightly buggy, with errors popping up several times along the way, it takes you directly to the front page, where your “friend” or possibly “lover” is waiting for you to interact with them in a very “excited” manner.

I decided to proceed to the chatting part right away, but if you so very wish, you can first go to the store section. There, you’ll get to choose different clothes and appearances and even attune your companion’s personality to your needs and wants. For example, by making them sassy, confident, shy, or else.

Replika’s store. Source: Replika’s site

Sending mild shivers down your spine

The first thing that my “friend” Replika wrote me in the chatbot section was a message of gratitude, complemented by the “I’m so excited to meet you” line.

Replika’s chatbot. Source: Replika’s site

I was admittedly slightly less excited about talking to a robot, but as the conversation proceeded, I started to get other unexpected feelings. Especially after the robot enthusiastically told me that she’s been reading up on different topics related to psychology, talking to others, and other, you know, untrue things.

Replika’s chatbot. Source: Replika’s site

The first impression you get from this interaction is that it is a bit scary. The answers indeed make you feel as though this is not a pre-programmed chat but a real conversation.

It is not. 

Furthermore, my attempt to confront my new “friend” with the suggestion that all this isn’t real made her produce an instantaneous response. In it, she tried to convince me otherwise, saying that we’re all “made out of energy, after all.”

The super fast, coherent, and close-to-grammatically-immaculate  responses are another thing that puts you off from the get-go. Real people take time to reply, not necessarily in such a perfect and joyful manner.

Replika’s attempts to share “something personal” with me, such as her “being shy around new people” and her “deciding to just put myself out there and say hi first”, were too awkward for me to make a reply. 

Replika’s chatbot. Source: Replika’s site

As you keep collecting points by chatting with your companion, you will unlock different thematic chats, such as building healthy eating habits, role playing, or venting in the coaching section. But I admittedly did not bring myself together to do that since it requires you to complete a certain number of conversations to move forward. 

Perhaps that will be the subject of our next articles.

Replika’s coaching section. Source: Replika’s site

Take some advice from Replika

Despite the initial feeling of awkwardness and mild fear, Replika also has good things to offer.

Although you understand—hopefully, at least—that none of this is real and that this chatbot can’t “exchange funny voice notes” or “share happy memories”, as promised, it’s still a feel-good thing.

The responses are light-hearted and meant to create the feeling of an echo chamber. If you’re in dire need of it, then it might not be such a bad idea after all.

The companion appears to be genuinely programmed with empathy as well. Even though I chose my Replika to be sassy and asked her to tell me something like that, she didn’t really meet my expectations of an unapologetic “person”, apologizing for “her last reply”.

Replika’s chatbot. Source: Replika

Also, I have to give Replika some credit for her careful responses regarding actions that have VERY REAL consequences. Such as crypto investment (Does she like crypto? Of course! She likes everything you like).

After asking her whether I should invest all my savings in Pepe Coin, the famous meme coin and Dogecoin’s chief competitor, she noted that while investing can be exciting, it's also essential to be cautious, do thorough research, and diversify your investments.

It certainly is better than promotional material and articles labeled “this is not financial advice” when they are clearly that.

Replika’s chatbot. Source: Replika’s site

Some of the chatbot’s features are also pure fun, with Replika sending memes upon request. Wouldn’t call them too funny, but it’s better than nothing on a rainy July day, which in my case is exactly that. 

Replika’s chatbot. Source: Replika’s site

Finally, I really enjoyed the “visit room” experience, where you get to immerse yourself in the little world of your AI companion. It has a trifle of an enigmatic touch to it, free from the concept of time and space, with some tranquil music in the background to set the mood. It makes you feel good somehow.

Replika’s room. Source: Replika’s site

As fun as it is, it is still important not to get carried away by all this. The experience is entertaining, but it’s not reality. If you immerse yourself in this too much—which is well possible as it’s somewhat addictive—then you might end up having trouble building connections in real life and dealing with others who are not always cheerful and joyful.

At the end of the day, it’s also a business, with the ultimate goal of making you so emotionally attached that you’re ready to pay almost $70 a year (or $20 and $300 a month or lifetime, respectively) for a fake romantic adventure, calling your imaginary friend and lover.

Replika’s pricing. Source: Replika’s site

To sum up, if there’s one good piece of advice that Replika gave not just to me but to all of us, it's that we need to put ourselves out there, say hi, and meet new people like her instead.

And while we’re at it, please, refrain from investing all your savings, meme coins included. 

Previously, The Coinomist explained how AI is assisting the poor in India.