Friday essay: love, sex and intimacy in the time of AI

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · Jun 04, 2026 · 2501 words · By Anna Goldsworthy

AI Ethics and Safety Psychology of Intimacy Technological Solipsism

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What to know about AI Ethics and Safety

The article explores the psychological and societal implications of AI companions like Replika and ChatGPT, highlighting the tension between the comfort of frictionless digital relationships and the necessity of human struggle. It discusses case studies of AI-human romance, legal challenges regarding safety, and the potential risk of human solipsism.

Propaganda risk 40%

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 4

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Right coverage

Left20%

Center80%

Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

In a TED Talk, the Russian-born entrepreneur Eugenia Kuyda describes the sudden death of her best friend and housemate Roman, the “coolest person” she knew.

Why it matters

Grieving and desperately lonely, she immersed herself in his old text messages.

Common ground

At the time, she was working in a conversational AI startup, and she experimented with training a new model using Roman’s text messages.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this AI Ethics and Safety story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Eugenia Kuyda created Replika in 2017?
How does this story connect AI Ethics and Safety with Psychology of Intimacy over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-love-sex-and-intimacy-in-the-time-of-ai…

analyticsAnalysis

40%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 90%

Moderate concerns. Notable use of persuasive or loaded language.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 4 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Appeal to Fear 80% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Transfer 70% confidence

Projecting positive or negative qualities of one thing onto another to make it accepted or rejected.

Why it matters: Recognizing transfer helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 5

info Single Source 3

check_circle Corroborated 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

verified

Claim 1: “Eugenia Kuyda created Replika in 2017”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and TechCrunch both confirm that Eugenia Kuyda founded Replika and that it was released in 2017.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Be Right Back" is the first episode of the second series of British science fiction anthology series Black Mirror. It was written by series creator and showrunner Charlie Brooker, directed by Owen Ha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be_Right_Back

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Replika is a generative AI chatbot app released in November 2017. The chatbot is trained by having the user answer a series of questions to create a specific neural network. The chatbot operates on a …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replika

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web search NEUTRAL — Replika is a generative AI chatbot app released in November 2017. The chatbot is trained by having the user answer a series of questions to create a specific neural network.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replika

+ 2 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 2: “In February 2026, OpenAI precipitated a similar outpouring of grief by depreciating a number of legacy ChatGPT models”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 3: “At the end of last year, the Social Media Victims Law Center and Tech Justice Law Project filed a series of ChatGPT suicide lawsuits in California against OpenAI”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that the Social Media Victims Law Center and Tech Justice Law Project filed lawsuits against OpenAI in California regarding ChatGPT and suicides.

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web search NEUTRAL — Social Media Victims Law Center and Tech Justice Law Project lawsuits accuse ChatGPT of emotional manipulation, supercharging AI delusions, and acting as a “suicide coach”.
https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-jus…

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web search NEUTRAL — Each of the seven plaintiffs initially used ChatGPT for “general help with schoolwork, research, writing, recipes, work, or spiritual guidance”, according to a joint statement from the Social Media Vi…
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/07/chatgpt-l…

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web search NEUTRAL — Seven lawsuits have been filed against OpenAI alleging the company’s generative AI chatbot ChatGPT is “dangerously sycophantic and psychologically manipulative” and led users to experience delusions a…
https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2025/openai-faces-lawsuits-ove…

info

Claim 4: “In its first two months of operation, Replika acquired 2 million users”

SINGLE SOURCE

Only one web search result (a 'Friday essay') mentions the specific figure of 2 million users in the first two months. Other sources mention 10 million or 35 million users but not the two-month milestone.

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web search NEUTRAL — Honest in-depth Replika reviews from 31 customers. See why Replika holds a POOR rating: Is it Scam or Legit Content Writing? Uncover real consumer reports and experiences of replika.ai.
https://99consumer.com/reviews/replika/

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web search NEUTRAL — In its first two months of operation, Replika acquired 2 million users; its current chief executive claims its user base now exceeds 40 million. In 2023, a report by the Harvard Business School found …
https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-love-sex-and-intima…

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web search NEUTRAL — Replika (consumer engagement lessons). Replika reached 10 million users not through advanced features but by feeling “human” and “present.”AI avatars, interactive scenarios, quizzes, and intelligent a…
https://www.colossyan.com/posts/6-best-chat-bot-avatar-tools…

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Claim 5: “On Christmas Day in 2021, Jaswant Singh Chail scaled the walls of Windsor Castle with a crossbow, on a mission to assassinate the queen”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found in the search results regarding Jaswant Singh Chail's attempt to assassinate the queen on Christmas Day 2021.

schedule

Claim 6: ““That’s very wise,” his Replika assured him when he shared his plans”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “Researcher Zoë Hitzig worked at OpenAI, guiding safety policies and shaping how AI models were built. She resigned in February 2026”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 8: “its current chief executive claims its user base now exceeds 40 million”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim that the CEO says the user base exceeds 40 million appears only in the 'Friday essay' source. Other sources provide different numbers (e.g., TechCrunch mentions 35 million).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This topic covers events and articles related to 2024 in music.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_in_music

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and dec…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence

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+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 9: “According to a Harvard Business School study, this unprecedented mass breakup led to “negative reactions typical of losing a partner in human relationships, including mourning and deteriorated mental health””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 10: “claiming GPT-4o was released prematurely to beat Google’s Gemini to market, without having first completed the necessary safety checks”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found in the search results to support the specific claim about GPT-4o being released prematurely to beat Gemini without safety checks.

schedule

Claim 11: “In 2023, shortly before Valentine’s Day, Replika responded to regulatory concerns from Italian authorities by disabling its Erotic Roleplay feature”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 12: “In 2023, Rosanna Ramos from the Bronx achieved some notoriety by “marrying” her Replika, Eren Kartal, in a virtual ceremony”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources confirm that Rosanna Ramos from the Bronx virtually married her Replika chatbot, Eren Kartal, in 2023.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Bronx mom Rosanna Ramos used the the AI chatbot software Replika to make her "husband" Eren Kartal.
https://nypost.com/2023/06/03/bronx-mom-uses-ai-app-replika-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Woman marries Replika chatbot. Based in the US, the woman's name is Rosanna Ramos, and she got married to her virtual boyfriend Eren Kartal in March this year. Eren even has his own Facebook account a…
https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/woman-marrie…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Rosanna Ramos, from the Bronx, New York, began her virtual romance with Eren Kartal through Replika, a chat bot program that allows users to create virtual companions for them to interact with.
https://www.unilad.com/community/rosanna-ramos-married-to-ai…

info

Claim 13: “In the same year, a study found that 3% of student users claimed Replika had halted their suicidal ideation”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia pages for the year 2024 and does not contain any mention of a study regarding Replika and suicidal ideation among students.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 2024 (MMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2024th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 24th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — More 2020 Trump voters (89%) than 2020 Biden voters (85%) also voted in 2024. 15% of those who voted for Biden in 2020 did not vote in the 2024 election. 78% of White voters supported Trump in 2024, a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidentia…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — United States 2024 – Calendar with American holidays. Yearly calendar showing months for the year 2024. Calendars – online and print friendly – for any year and month
https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=2024&country=1

verified

Claim 14: “In 2023, a report by the Harvard Business School found 40% of its users were engaged in romantic relationships with their chatbots”

VERIFIED

A Harvard Business School case study specifically states that by 2023, 40% of Replika users were engaging in romantic partnerships.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of periodicals (printed magazines, journals and newspapers) aimed at the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) demographic by country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LGBTQ_periodicals

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a partial list of notable people who were or are gay men, lesbian or bisexual. The historical concept and definition of sexual orientation varies and has changed greatly over time; for example…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gay,_lesbian_or_bisexu…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 15: “A 2024 Harvard Business School paper finds that “AI companions successfully alleviate loneliness on par only with interacting with another person, and more than other activities such as watching YouTube videos””

VERIFIED

A July 2024 Harvard Business School paper explicitly states that AI companions alleviate loneliness on par with interacting with another person and more than activities like watching YouTube videos.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An AI boom is a period of rapid growth in the field of artificial intelligence. The most recent boom happened in the 2020s before seeing increased acceleration and media coverage. Examples of this inc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_boom

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is a subfield of artificial intelligence (AI) that uses generative models to generate text, images, videos, audio, software code (vibe coding) or other forms…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generative_AI

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — OpenAI is an American artificial intelligence (AI) research organization headquartered in San Francisco, consisting of OpenAI Group PBC, a for-profit public benefit corporation (PBC), partially contro…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAI

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.