Uncharted territory: do AI girlfriend apps promote unhealthy expectations for human relationships?

Chatbots such as Eva AI are getting better at mimicking human interaction but some fear they feed into unhealthy beliefs around gender-based control and violence

Control it all the way you want to," reads the slogan for AI girlfriend app Eva AI. Connect with a virtual AI partner who listens, responds, and appreciates you."

A decade since Joaquin Phoenix fell in love with his AI companion Samantha, played by Scarlett Johansson in the Spike Jonze film Her, the proliferation of large language models has brought companion apps closer than ever.