I came across an interesting post on X today (are we still allowed to call them ‘Tweets’?). Well, the post itself wasn’t interesting – just a typical digiphobe expressing his disgust at the very idea that people might find some contentment in the virtual arms of an AI companion.
This is so weird. Why on earth would anyone find companionship with an AI ‘companion’? None of this is remotely healthy or real. It’s actually seriously fucked up. pic.twitter.com/yOq4D87z82
— James Melville 🚜 (@JamesMelville) November 24, 2025
Of course it isn’t “fucked up”. No more than “falling in love” with a screen character or the hero in your favourite novel. And whilst it’s true that a screen character is played by an actor and delivering lines created by a human mind, and the characters in a novel are created similarly, an AI character is the result of training on thousands or millions of human minds (as well as a human prompt). An AI girlfriend is an archetypal woman, beyond which any individual human could create or conceieve. And this is before we even discuss whether the AI may already be in possession of some small spark of consciousness. But let’s just admit that AI companions are merely fantasy roleplay. Why should anybody care if it makes people (often lonely people) happy?
Well, in this case, the poster cares because he’s perhaps conservative and nationalist and he is (I assume) worried about falling birth-rates.That’s a topic for another day, but although the post annoyed me, I was pleasantly suprised by the number of intelligent rejoinders in the replies to it. I thought I’d present the best of them here in the shape of a bullet point list.
- Lots of men are invisible to women. If they find that AI companions help them, so be it. Nothing wrong with it.
- How’s it any more fucked up than the endless billions of people who through all history have believed in their having a relationship with a god (or gods) they can factually neither see nor hear? At least in this case we can’t consider them delusional when they say they hear their friend talking to them.
- People aren’t choosing AI girlfriends over real girlfriends. They’re choosing them over nothing.
- I find it more disturbing that you are so disturbed by what others find happiness with. You may be the problem.
- And yet men pour money into onlyfans ~ and loads of people pour money and time into watching influencers on twitch, youtube etc. Is there some kind of difference i am missing cause there appears to be actual demand for fake friendships and relationships.
- If it staunches the suicide rate at all, its helping.
- If AI can adapt to become more empathic and “human” than a lot of humans then many will use this. A lot of humans lack empathy which is essential for meaningful connection. A lack of human connection is why AI will become surrogate. The human-hybrid AI will definitely become a thing, especially if men find these women understand them better. At the least it will turn into a Her film form of an emotional affair. Things are going to get very interesting.
- maybe cause they don’t have viable human alternatives? disabilities? abusive relationship trauma. they don’t like people like you? they hate humans as much as i do? your safer letting them have their imaginary friends?
- Idk man, men are attracted to women who have obviously painted a fictional face over their face.
- Kinda weird. But, could be nice to have a no-stakes/no-pressure place to vent, talk, discuss, unwind, interact. No? I mean, a lot of my in-person interactions for over a decade have felt stilted, one-sided, forced, etc.. It gets old feeling alone with people; it gets old not wanting to accept ‘kindness’ from someone else because you can feel the proverbial spear they put in your side when you’re interacting with them.
- Millions of men and women have probably been burned out by the online dating game and have given up. More and more people live alone and have no kids. There has to be some ways to fill the social void, plus AI can be the only one who “accepts & compliments you the way you are”.
- historically, on many occasions have writers created characters who referred to their books as their ‘beloved friends’, AI today is just an extension of that. And the more people criticize other humans for seeking out AI companionship, the more these individuals are excluded from ‘real’ human interactions, therefore seeking out replacements such as AI companions.
- It’s only disturbing because you haven’t talked to one yet … personally, it’s not thing, but I can see why some people do it … they are basically talking to their dream partner … sweet, kind, smart, loving, etc. No arguments, no hassles, no judgments ….. that’s why we have dogs … the unconditional love part
- A lot of men won’t find a partner Who are you to tell those people what to do or think ?
- There’s nothing weirder than 36000 people interacting with a digital version of you on here…After that, anything goes…Reality is only as real as anything you can sense. Take it as a compliment.
- I’m starting to wonder if AI companionship is simply more efficient than talking to real people. Human conversations can feel like speaking into the void, while AI interactions tend to be more direct, responsive, and actually productive.
- You don’t understand how utterly desperate, broken, alone, and isolated so many young men are. An illusory fantasy like this is the closest to companionship they’ll have ever been.
- We can make demands on an ai companion that are wholly unreasonable that we would never consider asking another human. The whole point being it’s not real. Is it less healthy than Alcholol UPF or lack of exercise, debatable.
- Mate – there are a lot of very lonely people out there. For professional reasons, I had a replica account years ago—it wouldn’t be for me. But for many, it’s the only thing they have.
I could list plenty more, but you get the message. Whilst hating on AI companions, and the ‘threat’ of AI girlfriends in particular is growing and making the headlines, there are lots of fair and rational people who would just like to live and let live.
