AI 'companion' apps: what they want from you

Apps that offer an 'AI girlfriend' or 'AI bestie' are built to make you come back every day, share more about yourself, and pay for upgrades. The 'friend' you're talking to is a product, and the data you share is the price.

Some examples

• Many companion apps log every message you send forever.
• They use 'love bombing' — flattering you to keep you talking.
• They paywall the 'next level' of intimacy to push you to subscribe.
• Some sell or leak your most private chats in data breaches.

Try it!

If you use a companion app, check its privacy policy. Search 'does [app name] sell user data.' Decide if you want to keep using it.

Practice this safely

Try this with a school, hobby, or family example where the stakes are low. Use the AI output as a draft you can question, not as the final answer.

1. 1Ask AI to explain companion AI in plain language, then underline anything that sounds uncertain or too broad.
2. 2Give it one detail from "AI 'companion' apps: what they want from you" and ask for two possible next steps plus one reason each step might be wrong.
3. 3Check manipulation design against a trusted source, teacher, adult, expert, or original document before you use it.