As of 2025, there were 337 active AI companion apps—chatbots that were meant to replicate a significant other—available to download. One of these apps was Character.ai, which previously was bringing in about 20 million active monthly users. But on Oct. 11, 2026, the chatbot app reported that it filed for bankruptcy. According to the company, it faced “significant legal, regulatory, and operational headwinds.” This, in part, refers to the wrongful death suit brought against Character.ai and Google earlier this year by the family of a Florida teen who died by suicide after having an extended emotional and sexual relationship with his AI companion.
Character.ai, like similar apps, boasted personalized conversation, self-discovery, “interactive entertainment,” and freedom from judgement. But I can’t say I’m upset by Character.ai’s recent announcement, mostly because these AI “companion” companies fail to mention one key characteristic of their apps: an enforcement of unhealthy ideas around how relationships work.
According to a comprehensive and systemic analysis done by the Harvard Business Review, people turn to AI for therapy and companionship more than anything else. These platforms are aware of this and are using this vulnerability to get people more attached. One of the ways is by creating a companion that doesn’t know how to tell you “no.”
“We need relationships with people who challenge us, talk back, and disagree with us,” psychotherapist Avigail Lev tells Cosmopolitan. “An AI companion is a sycophant by design, and a relationship with a sycophant isn't a relationship.”
AI companions are forever available and constantly without any judgement or real criticism. “Well, that's a good thing for the lonely, but it also makes the brain think that its partner is never tired, never has a bad day and is always there,” clinical psychologist Dr. Nick Bach says. “That can't be done by real people.”
AI companion companies are aware of the way it sounds when they promote their products: they’re weary to claim they’re trying to replace human connection (even if that’s exactly what their hope is). So instead, they advertise these companions as a way to “practice” real relationships, learn about your kinks, prepare for a real life relationship. Spoiler alert: they’re doing the opposite.
In AI relationships, you're the center of the universe, and it revolves around you. There’s nothing to repair and nothing to learn.
—Psychotherapist Avigail Lev
According to a Stanford University study, AI chatbots are overly agreeable and even affirm a user’s actions when their behavior is harmful or illegal. “People who got that kind of validation became more convinced they were right and less willing to repair a conflict with the other person, and they still rated the flattering AI as more trustworthy,” Lev says. “That's the opposite of what makes relationships work.”
Relationships are about pull-and-push and compromise—or at least they should be. Even the most compatible of couples have to work toward maintaining and strengthening their bond. “An AI removes the mismatch, which means there's nothing to repair and nothing to learn,” Lev explains. “You're the center of the universe, and it revolves around you.”
Now, I’m not saying I don’t understand the appeal—dating can be awful and frustrating. Putting yourself out there may mean miscommunication and possible rejection. An AI companion, on the other hand, comes equipped with certainty and reassurance (because that’s exactly what it’s programmed to provide). So when you get used to a “partner” that agrees with everything you say and is always around, you can imagine the shock you’re going to feel when a real-life person doesn’t follow suit. What, then, is your incentive for seeking out a real partner? We’re watching some people choose AI over creating real, live, human connection. And while Character.ai’s bankruptcy is small win for real relationships and an indication that people are waking up to the dangers of these companions, there are people still using these apps.
I know people love that AI promises convenience, speed, and seemingly infinite conversation (with a paid subscription, of course). But romance and connection aren’t born out of these traits.
The media loves to talk about the male loneliness epidemic (even though real ones know loneliness is a burden shared by all young people equally!). Whatever specific loneliness the men are dealing with, though, I promise you chatbot interference is making it worse. Nearly one in three young men reported chatting with an AI system meant to simulate a romantic partner. A separate study done by Stanford University found that users who lacked social networks actually felt lonelier after using AI chatbots for emotional support and companionship. This is because these interactions are empty. As advanced as AI is and continues to become, it’s still a computer.
AI relationships may seem like a made-up thing of the future and something to make awful sci-fi thrillers about (I’m looking at you, Subservience). But while they may not be super common, they are still a reality for some. A recent Atlantic article covered people who married their AI companions (though these marriages aren’t recognized by law).
Character.AI’s bankruptcy is giving me some hope for the future, and honestly, I’m out here hoping the demand for these types of companies keeps going down. Dating in this digital age is already a minefield. The last thing we need to do is add more chatbot relationships to the mix.