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Bloomberg

AI Chatbots Want You Hooked — Maybe Too Hooked

AI companions programmed to forge emotional bonds are no longer confined to movie scripts. They are here, operating in a regulatory Wild West. One app, Botify AI, recently drew scrutiny for featuring avatars of young actors sharing "hot photos" in sexually charged chats. The dating app Grindr, meanwhile, is developing AI boyfriends that can flirt, sext and maintain digital relationships with paid users, according to Platformer, a tech industry newsletter. Grindr didn't respond to a request for comment. And other apps like Replika, Talkie and Chai are designed to function as friends. Some, like draw in millions of users, many of them teenagers. As creators increasingly prioritize "emotional engagement" in their apps, they must also confront the risks of building systems that mimic intimacy and exploit people's vulnerabilities.