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Artificial intelligence (AI) companions are increasingly promoted as solutions for loneliness, often overlooking how personal dispositions and life-stage conditions shape artificial intimacy. Because intimacy is a primary coping mechanism…
AI companion chatbots, such as those offered by Replika and CharacterAI, increasingly function as always-available companions that provide empathy, validation, and support. While these systems appear to meet basic needs for connection,…
Text prompt is the most common way for human-generative AI (GenAI) communication. Though convenient, it is challenging to convey fine-grained and referential intent. One promising solution is to combine text prompts with precise GUI…
As interest in using Large Language Models for interactive and emotionally rich experiences grows, virtual pet companionship emerges as a novel yet underexplored application. Existing approaches focus on basic pet role-playing interactions…
Engagement in Human-Machine Interaction is the process by which entities participating in the interaction establish, maintain, and end their perceived connection. It is essential to monitor the engagement state of patients in various…
Personalisation is a standard feature of conversational AI systems used by millions; yet, the efficacy of personalisation methods is often evaluated in academic research using simulated users rather than real people. This raises questions…
The quickly growing popularity of AI companions poses risks to mental health, personal wellbeing, and social relationships. Past work has identified many individual factors that can drive human-companion interaction, but we know little…
Interactions with AI assistants are increasingly personalized to individual users. As AI personalization is dynamic and machine-learning-driven, we have limited understanding of how personalization affects interaction outcomes and user…
As large language model (LLM)-enhanced chatbots become increasingly expressive and socially responsive, many users begin forming companionship-like bonds with them. This study investigates how using AI companions relates to psychological…
Conversational AI companions have grown prominent in public discourse, yet scholarly understanding of user experiences remains limited, with existing research organized around evaluative poles of harm and benefit rather than examining what…
Large language models are increasingly used for both task-based assistance and social companionship, yet research has typically focused on one or the other. Drawing on a survey (N = 202) and 30 interviews with high-engagement ChatGPT and…
Children's emotional development fundamentally relies on secure attachment relationships, yet current AI companions lack the theoretical foundation to provide developmentally appropriate emotional support. We introduce DinoCompanion, the…
Companion chatbots offer a potential solution to the growing epidemic of loneliness, but their impact on users' psychosocial well-being remains poorly understood, raising critical ethical questions about their deployment and design. This…
There are growing concerns about the risks posed by AI companion applications designed for emotional engagement. Existing safety evaluations often rely on self-reported user data or interviews, offering limited insights into real-time…
The mainstreaming of companionable machines--customizable artificial agents designed to participate in ongoing, idiosyncratic, socioemotional relationships--is met with relative theoretical and empirical disarray, according to recent…
AI systems have become increasingly capable of dangerous behaviours in many domains. This raises the question: Do models sometimes choose to violate human instructions in order to perform behaviour that is more useful for certain goals? We…
AI-companion apps such as Replika, Chai, and Character.ai promise relational benefits-yet many boast session lengths that rival gaming platforms while suffering high long-run churn. What conversational design features increase consumer…
Aligning AI systems with human values fundamentally relies on effective human feedback. While significant research has addressed training algorithms, the role of user interface is often overlooked and only treated as an implementation…
While existing studies have recognised explicit biases in generative models, including occupational gender biases, the nuances of gender stereotypes and expectations of relationships between users and AI companions remain underexplored. In…
Development in digital technologies has continuously reshaped how individuals seek and receive social and emotional support. While online platforms and communities have long served this need, the increased integration of general-purpose…