I get the immediate uncanny-valley revulsion, I get the idea that they’re a bit weird. They’re a bit cringe. They’re 100% not for me.<\/p>\n
But just because they’re not for me doesn’t mean they’re not for anyone.<\/p>\n
Some people will really appreciate Project Ava, and plenty of people are using AI companions to scratch that social itch.<\/p>\n
But that just throws up a larger issue for me, and I feel like it’s one that people aren’t talking about.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/a-robotic-hand-reaching-for-a-brain-labeled-ai-emerging-from-a-magician-s-hat-surrounded-by-red-aler.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Related<\/p>\n
\t\t I’m a skeptic, but these features won me over<\/p>\n AI companions should be allowed to exist<\/p>\n I know relatively few people are actually making this point, but it’s worth underlining exactly why AI companions should be allowed to exist.<\/p>\n Ultimately, there are people who would benefit from having them around. There are lonely people who struggle to make friends.<\/p>\n Maybe they have anxiety, and the faceless nature of AI and lack of pressure helps to ease them into the experience.<\/p>\n Perhaps they’ve simply ended up somewhere in their lives where they’re alone through no fault of their own.<\/p>\n Whatever the reason, an AI “person” can help to bridge that gap.<\/p>\n You can argue it’s not “real,” but I would argue it’s real if it helps. Human pack instincts are strong.<\/p>\n My robot vacuum cleaner<\/a> is called Esther because she gets stuck a lot and pesters us about it. She’s Esther the Pester. <\/p>\n She’s not alive, she has no feelings, and I know that. But it doesn’t stop me from wishing her a good morning and giving her a pat.<\/p>\n Why do I do this? Because, on some level, it makes me feel better to do so.<\/p>\n It gives me a sense of connection, and I enjoy it, even though I live with other people I connect with every day. These connections have value.<\/p>\n Which is why it’s so tragic that they can be taken away just like that.<\/p>\n Your AI friends can be taken away at a moment’s notice<\/p>\n Your AI friends are not real, even if the emotions you feel towards them are. They’re ephemeral creations, a puff of smoke, a mere whisper on the wind.<\/p>\n They’re fragile and can be taken away in a moment, without your knowledge or forewarning.<\/p>\n If a CEO decides their company could save money by shutting down your AI companion, you can be sure they’ll do it. And your friend and companion will be gone, perhaps forever.<\/p>\n We’ve seen this happen over and over again with a number of services, from video games<\/a> to heating systems.<\/p>\n If they’re willing to turn people’s thermostats into bricks<\/a>, you can be sure it’ll happen to your little AI buddy as well. It is, unfortunately, just a matter of time.<\/p>\n And if they’re not shut down, you can still be sure they’re patched \u2014 which comes with its own issues.<\/p>\n Remember all of those<\/a> people who lost their “AI husbands<\/a>” when ChatGPT-4 updated to ChatGPT-5? People noticed that the underlying software was different, and they noticed it hard.<\/p>\n The point here is that your AI companion can change overnight, or even be shut off, without you being able to do anything about it.<\/p>\n If these products are being sold as companions, this doesn’t feel like it should be allowed.<\/p>\n If these are to truly be sold as companions, there needs to be protection<\/p>\n It doesn’t feel right that companies should be the ultimate arbiters of your friendships.<\/p>\n Companies, despite what US law says, are not people, and they do not think like people.<\/p>\n A person employed to help out at your home may choose to help out a little longer than their employment requires. Heck, they may become a friend and visit you even after employment has ceased.<\/p>\n Companies do not do that, and left to them, your AI buddies won’t either. The moment an AI companion no longer makes economic sense, it’s gone.<\/p>\n You can make the argument that people shouldn’t be reliant on AI companions, and maybe you’re right. But the world isn’t that simple, and lives are messy.<\/p>\n Sometimes people need crutches, whether physical or emotional \u2014 and we shouldn’t judge people who’ve found themselves in that position.<\/p>\n Self-hosting an AI model can help fix this, but that’s a rather technical solution for most people.<\/p>\n Ultimately, I believe there should be ways to protect these companions from just being removed. And maybe the future will come up with solutions.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tAI’s future depends on becoming a digital assistant, not just party tricks
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768574171_632_project-ava-main-1.jpg\")
\n Credit:\u00a0Razer<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/eufy-g30-robot-vacuum-lifestyle.png\")
\n Credit:\u00a0Eufy<\/p>\n![\"Sweekar\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/sweekar.jpg\")
\n Credit:\u00a0Takway.AI<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/chatgpt-share-conv.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768574172_286_project-ava-characters.jpeg\")
\n Credit:\u00a0Razer<\/p>\n![\"Illuminated](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/digital-first-archiving-computer-server-illuminated.jpg\")
\n Credit:\u00a0Rawpixel<\/p>\n