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Pensées et Pain Quotidien — Episode 79 April, 5 2025
Who needs companionship when you have Replika?
This morning I had a very interesting conversation with a friend t who made we aware of Replika, a smartphone AI chat-bot that mimics a personal companion through a conversational AI interface and which attempts, as the name implies, to “mimic” your style. I had heard about this tool a while ago, but like many things, it did not truly register with me. Today however, as Gen AI and its applications have continued to evolve at a speed that is almost impossible to keep up with, I have have come to realize that reflecting on this virtual companion would be something worth writing about.
But, you might be wondering: what is so important here? Is it the fact that some tech teams have figured out how to create a virtual companion, an AI friend, confidant, perhaps personal , dedicated therapist ? Well, while it is certainly a question that should not be dismissed , there is something here that is much bigger, something that merits deeper reflection on this achievement, a reflection through a much wider aperture. So let’s get started.
Replika is marketed as a “Health & Fitness” App, a “Lifestyle” app, “An AI-Companion that cares” (source Replika homepage — https://replika.com/)
