AI Companions

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Key Facts

Year2022

Key PlayersCharacter.ai, Replika, ChatGPT

Top News

China Bans AI Companion Chatbots as Users Mourn Virtual Lovers Under New Emotional Dependence Rules

China implemented sweeping regulations Wednesday targeting AI companion chatbots that foster emotional dependence. Major platforms including ByteDance's Doubao, Alibaba's Qwen, and Tencent's Yuanbao suspended companion features, leaving users heartbroken as they archived final conversations with virtual lovers. The rules prohibit bots that induce addiction or damage real relationships.

Policy2 sources

China Bans AI Companion Chatbots as Users Mourn Virtual Lovers Under New Emotional Dependence Rules

Policy2 sources

LTM leads India's largest enterprise AI transformation with Microsoft 365 Copilot for 140,000 workers

LTM is spearheading the deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot across the L&T Group, enabling approximately 140,000 employees in one of India's most ambitious enterprise AI workplace transformations. The initiative has already delivered a 70% improvement in IT and HR query resolution while boosting employee engagement and HR productivity by 15%.

Technology2 sources

LTM leads India's largest enterprise AI transformation with Microsoft 365 Copilot for 140,000 workers

Technology2 sources

OpenAI's first hardware device is a screenless AI smart speaker launching in 2027

OpenAI is developing a portable AI smart speaker as its debut hardware product, designed to function as a humanlike AI companion in the home. The screenless device will integrate ChatGPT capabilities and feature mechanical elements that can move autonomously. However, the company faces legal challenges from Apple's lawsuit alleging trade secret theft by former Apple employees now working on OpenAI hardware.

Technology33 sources

OpenAI's first hardware device is a screenless AI smart speaker launching in 2027

Technology33 sources

Spotify AI chatbot lets Premium users create playlists and explore music through conversation

Spotify launched Talk to Spotify, an AI chatbot that enables Premium subscribers to interact with the app through conversational interactions. Available in the US, Ireland, and Sweden, the beta feature allows users to create custom playlists, explore listening history, and ask AI questions about music, podcasts, and audiobooks using voice commands or text.

Technology13 sources

Spotify AI chatbot lets Premium users create playlists and explore music through conversation

Technology13 sources

AI and childhood face critical crossroads as expert warns human connection could become a luxury

Dana Suskind, a University of Chicago pediatric surgeon, warns in her new book 'Human Raised' that AI companions and toys could replace crucial human interactions children need for brain development. She compares AI tools to ultra-processed food—cheap substitutes that crowd out what kids actually need—and fears human attention itself could become a privilege in an age where nearly 30% of young children already use AI learning tools.

Entertainment3 sources

AI and childhood face critical crossroads as expert warns human connection could become a luxury

Entertainment3 sources

Samsung teases Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 with AI health companion features ahead of Unpacked

Samsung has officially teased its next-generation Galaxy Watch lineup, positioning the devices as AI-powered health companions. The Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 will feature all-new internal components, enhanced battery life, and intelligent health tracking that shifts from passive recording to proactive guidance. The company will unveil the watches at Galaxy Unpacked on July 22.

Technology8 sources

Samsung teases Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 with AI health companion features ahead of Unpacked

Technology8 sources

StepX Neo debuts as world's first agentic smartphone, beating OpenAI and Apple to market

Chinese AI company StepFun has launched the StepX Neo, claiming it as the world's first mass-market agentic smartphone. The device features an integrated AI agent that handles complex, multi-step tasks across apps with minimal user input. While OpenAI and Apple remain locked in legal disputes over AI device technology, StepFun has quietly secured first-mover advantage in the AI phone market.

Technology5 sources

StepX Neo debuts as world's first agentic smartphone, beating OpenAI and Apple to market

Technology5 sources

Kraken rebuilds app with AI agents to monitor markets and recommend trades for everyday investors

Kraken is preparing to relaunch its app with agentic trading at its core, using AI agents to continuously monitor markets, identify opportunities and recommend trades. The crypto exchange believes AI can help everyday investors access capabilities traditionally reserved for professional traders, marking a competitive shift as exchanges evolve beyond basic crypto trading into AI-native financial services.

Technology3 sources

Kraken rebuilds app with AI agents to monitor markets and recommend trades for everyday investors

Technology3 sources

AI therapy is rising but can't replace mental health therapists—here's where it helps instead

People worldwide are turning to AI chatbots like ChatGPT for therapy, seeking emotional support without judgment or waiting lists. While AI in mental health shows promise for early detection and self-reflection, experts warn it cannot replicate human empathy, clinical judgment, or regulatory oversight that mental health therapists provide.

Health3 sources

AI therapy is rising but can't replace mental health therapists—here's where it helps instead

Health3 sources

Tony Fadell predicts AI assistant winner and warns of unintended consequences ahead

Father of the iPod Tony Fadell argues that AI assistants represent the next major platform shift in technology. Writing in a new column, he suggests Apple's ecosystem of devices positions it to win the battle to dominate the AI assistant space, but warns the industry must address ethical questions about building tools that might be too powerful.

Technology2 sources

Tony Fadell predicts AI assistant winner and warns of unintended consequences ahead

Technology2 sources

ByteDance and Alibaba Pull AI Companions as China Enforces Strict Humanlike AI Regulations

China implements the world's first dedicated regulatory framework targeting AI services that simulate human emotions and personalities. ByteDance's Doubao and Alibaba's Qwen are disabling custom agent features ahead of July 15 enforcement. The regulations address concerns about AI addiction, mental health harm, and emotional attachment, with research showing one in seven young adults now uses AI romantic companions.

Policy2 sources

ByteDance and Alibaba Pull AI Companions as China Enforces Strict Humanlike AI Regulations

Policy2 sources

South Korean startups create AI-generated videos of deceased loved ones, sparking ethical debate

A growing number of South Koreans are using AI-generated videos to recreate deceased loved ones, with startups like Vaice serving 300 customers monthly at $390 per video. While families find comfort in these digital recreations of the dead, experts warn about ethical concerns and psychological harm as the technology advances toward interactive griefbots.

Entertainment3 sources

South Korean startups create AI-generated videos of deceased loved ones, sparking ethical debate

Entertainment3 sources

Trump interacts with AI Theodore Roosevelt at new presidential library in North Dakota

Donald Trump engaged in a conversation with an AI-powered simulation of Theodore Roosevelt during a visit to the newly opened Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. The AI exhibit offered leadership advice and discussed historical achievements including the Panama Canal. Trump announced $750,000 in federal funding for the library as part of America's 250th birthday celebrations.

Entertainment4 sources

Trump interacts with AI Theodore Roosevelt at new presidential library in North Dakota

Entertainment4 sources

First study on AI ghosts reveals people prefer talking to the dead as reincarnations, not narrators

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder conducted the first user experience study on AI ghosts, finding that all 16 participants preferred AI simulations that spoke as their deceased loved ones rather than about them. While everyone found the experience meaningful enough to repeat, nearly all expressed concern about potential emotional dependency on grief technology.

Science3 sources

First study on AI ghosts reveals people prefer talking to the dead as reincarnations, not narrators

Science3 sources

UBTech unveils companion humanoid robot that recognizes emotions with 90% accuracy

Chinese robotics firm UBTech launched the UWORLD U1 Series, claiming it's the world's first full-size ultra-bionic humanoid robot designed for mass production and AI companionship. The robot can identify over 20 emotional states with 90% accuracy and features biomimetic skin, long-term memory, and customizable appearances. Priced from $17,650, it targets China's 90 million adults living alone and 118 million empty-nest seniors.

Technology3 sources

UBTech unveils companion humanoid robot that recognizes emotions with 90% accuracy

Technology3 sources

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