What if your romantic AI chatbot can’t keep a secret?

In the movie “Her” the film’s hero strikes up an ultimately doomed romantic relationship with a sophisticated AI system. At the time of its release in 2013, such a scenario was firmly in the realms of science fiction. But with the emergence of generative AI (GenAI) and large language models (LLMs), it’s no longer such an outlandish prospect. In fact, “companion” apps are proliferating today.

However, inevitably there are risks associated with hooking up with an AI bot. How do you know your personal information won’t be shared with third parties? Or stolen by hackers? The answers to questions like these will help you determine whether it’s all worth the risk.

Looking for (digital) love

Companion apps meet a growing market demand. AI girlfriends and boyfriends harness the power of LLMs and natural language processing (NLP) to interact with their users in a conversational, highly personalized ...