What AI Companions Reveal About Data, Loneliness and Human Connection | Thetafan Intelligence
800 million people now have an AI companion. That number deserves a moment. AI companions are no longer a fringe technology. Platforms such as Snapchat’s My AI, Replika and China’s Xiaoice now collectively reach hundreds of millions of users worldwide (Snapchat’s My AI, with over 150 million users, Replika, with an estimated 25 million users and Xiaoice, with 660 million). For many people, these systems provide something traditionally associated with human relationships: emotional acknowledgement, conversation and the sense of being understood.
