You and I plus AI: A qualitative exploration of replika in the context of human relationships

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have allowed machines to step into the realm of meaningful relationships with humans. Conversational agents, such as Replika, are specifically designed to build emotional connections with people. For some, they are now considered friends, romantic, or even sexual partners. With many countries acknowledging that there is a loneliness epidemic, these alternatives to human intimacy provide a potential remedy. Many warn of the dangers that AI companions pose, but they may also provide benefits to human relationships. In this study, the authors used qualitative thematic analysis to analyze Replika users’ posts on the r/replika Reddit forum to answer the question: How does Replika use impact users’ human relationships? Five main themes were identified: increased relational skills and capacity, relational offloading, relational desire, secrecy, and addiction. Replika use may harm users’ human relationships through secrecy related to stigma, questions around infidelity, and addiction. However, it may also enhance users’ human relationships by improving their relational skills and capacity, providing relationship support, and increasing their desire for human connection. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.