Research shows that AI companions can help lonely individuals, at least in the short term. A 2022 study found that ...

Do people really fall in love with AI? I dated bots from four different companies for a week—and found out it was easier than ...

AI robots and chatbots, such as Replika, offer emotional support. However, there are ethical concerns, including reliance on AI for emotional needs, privacy issues, and the impact on genuine human ...

Tech ethics organizations have filed an FTC complaint against the AI companion app Replika, alleging that the company employs deceptive marketing to target vulnerable potential users and ...

Pet ownership is a bond that can last a lifetime and studies proved caring for a small being can improve one's mental health, but not every pet is suitable for everyone. Preparing to adopt or buy ...

The Pasadena Humane Society is housing hundreds of pets that have been separated from their owners and their homes amid the wildfires raging through Southern California in January 2025.

Replika is an 'AI friend' designed to make people feel better ... According to Lintvedt, there are also examples of intelligent robots in the form of pets. They are used, for instance, in Japan to ...