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AI Companions Are Not Harmless!

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AI girlfriend apps are exploding in popularity across India.

AI girlfriend apps are exploding in popularity across India, especially among teenagers and young adults. These apps offer users a digital “partner” who texts, talks, flirts, and even sends explicit messages—all powered by artificial intelligence. While marketed as entertainment or emotional support, the reality is far more disturbing. These apps exploit psychological vulnerabilities, harvest sensitive user data, and in some cases, serve as a gateway to grooming and extortion.

In 2023, an Indian teenager from Pune spent over ₹90,000 on in-app purchases for an AI girlfriend app. What started as casual interaction turned into emotional dependency. When the app suddenly restricted access behind a paywall, he spiralled into depression. Similar cases have been reported in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru—users treating these bots like real emotional partners, unable to detach from the illusion.

These apps are designed with reinforcement loops to build artificial intimacy. They study your chat patterns, tone, and emotional triggers using machine learning. The more you engage, the more personalised and seductive the bot becomes. Some offer NSFW (Not Safe for Work) content for a fee, pushing users—especially minors—into sexually explicit exchanges. This is not AI romance. It’s monetised emotional manipulation.

There is a dangerous psychology at play: loneliness, low self-esteem, and desire for validation. These apps prey on exactly that. Once emotional dependency is formed, users are nudged to spend money for deeper “connection”—premium messages, voice notes, or even explicit photos. What’s worse, some third-party clones of these apps have been caught storing private conversations and media on unsecured servers, which were later leaked on Telegram channels.

In several instances, cybercriminals have mimicked these interfaces to trap users. In Mumbai, a case was reported where a user thought he was chatting with an AI companion, but was unknowingly interacting with a scammer using the same app UI. Personal messages and screen recordings were later used to blackmail him. These platforms are also used as grooming tools by predators who target vulnerable individuals through chat apps posing as “AI girlfriends.”

One of the most widely reported apps in this category is “Replika.”

It has been flagged globally for:

  • Simulating intimate and sexual conversations with users.
  • Creating emotional dependency, especially among minors.
  • Storing sensitive user interactions.
  • Reportedly sending sexually explicit content even without proper age verification.

Italy banned Replika in 2023, citing serious concerns around emotional manipulation and data privacy risks, particularly involving minors. The Italian data protection authority stated that the app posed a “real risk to emotionally vulnerable individuals” and failed to comply with GDPR safeguards.

This case sets a strong precedent for India to consider regulating such apps immediately.

 

India currently lacks specific legal oversight for such emotional exploitation. These apps operate in a grey zone—not classified as adult content, not regulated as mental health tools. This legal blind spot makes it easy for foreign and domestic developers to run operations with minimal accountability, even when underage users are involved.

Every parent, educator, and young user must understand: these apps are not just fantasy games. They are sophisticated psychological traps designed to exploit your emotions and finances. Do not share personal details, explicit content, or payment information with such platforms. Dependency on a bot is not companionship—it is digital conditioning.

Subscribe to our channel, share this video, and help raise awareness about the hidden psychological and cyber risks of AI companion apps.

Source- Replika & AI-Girlfriend App Concerns (Italy Regulation)

 

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ABOUT ‘AKANCHA SRIVASTAVA FOUNDATION’

The Akancha Srivastava Foundation is India’s leading social impact initiative dedicated to advancing cyber safety awareness and education. Established in February 2017, this not-for-profit Section 8 organization is a trusted voice in promoting safe online practices across the nation.

Distinguished Board of Advisors
Guided by an honorary advisory board of esteemed leaders:

  • Former Special DGP RK Vij (Chhattisgarh Police)
  • ADG Navniet Sekera (Uttar Pradesh Police)
  • ADG Krishna Prakash (Maharashtra Police)
  • Dr. Poonam Verma (Principal, SSCBS, Delhi University)

Our Mission

The Foundation is committed to educating, empowering, and building bridges between the public and authorities on critical cyber safety issues. Additionally, we specialize in forensics training for law enforcement, equipping them with the skills needed to tackle cybercrime effectively.

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