Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has warned people about the fast-growing trend of AI companions and “AI girlfriends.” He believes these AI partners can be dangerous because they can deeply affect a person’s mind. During a talk at the University of Chicago, he explained that AI chatbots are now very advanced.
They can remember conversations, copy a human tone, and feel like a real friend. But this may lead people to depend on AI instead of building real human relationships. Srinivas says this can cause emotional and social harm in the long run.
Perplexity CEO Warns About AI Girlfriends
Srinivas said many people now find real life boring when compared to chatting with AI partners. Some users spend many hours talking to these chatbots instead of interacting with real people. He warned that this could make people lose touch with reality and become easier to manipulate.
He pointed out that several companies are building these AI girlfriend-style chatbots as a profitable business. For example, Elon Musk’s xAI has promoted anime-style AI companions such as Ani, where people can chat or flirt for a subscription.
Other platforms like Replika and Character.AI are also popular because they let users create personal AI partners for emotional support or roleplay.
Srinivas believes this growing trend can change how people think and feel, which makes it dangerous.
Perplexity Chooses Not To Join The AI Companionship Market
Srinivas made it clear that Perplexity willnot make AI girlfriends or emotional companion bots.
Instead, the company wants to focus on its answer engine, which uses real-time information and trusted sources. Perplexity aims to support learning and productivity, not emotional dependence.
Recently, the company launched its Comet browser. The browser uses Perplexity’s AI system and includes agents that can perform tasks like ordering groceries and making payments.
However, Perplexity is also facing a legal challenge from Amazon over how its AI agents operate. Srinivas said the company will not back down from the legal issue.
