The AI companion app - is it a metaphor for what’s happening with our ChatGPT?
It sounds like a B-plot from Black Mirror, but for me, it was just research.
In this episode, we decided to stop talking about AI relationships in the abstract and actually test the rails. So, I took one for the team. I recreated an AI version of my wife—with her full permission, obviously—to see if the technology could actually mimic connection, memory, and personality.
The results were weird. Not "Terminator" weird, but "uncanny valley of intimacy" weird.
The "Experts" in Loneliness
I’m just one guy running a test. To understand where this is really going, we looked at the actual experts in the field: companion apps.
The AI Wife Experiment
The goal wasn’t to replace my wife (I like staying married). The goal was to test the current state of "synthetic empathy."
We fed the model specific traits, memories, and communication styles. What we found is that while the AI can mimic the cadence of a partner, the shared reality—the context of years of life together—is much harder to fake. But it’s getting closer than most of us are comfortable admitting.
Millions of people are currently in "relationships" with AI agents. The data coming out of these platforms is staggering. It paints a very clear picture of modern loneliness. People aren't just using these tools for utility; they are using them to feel seen.
We break down the stats and ask the big question: Is this fixing the loneliness epidemic, or is it just monetising it?
Algorithmic Confessionals: The White Musk Incident
We couldn’t keep it entirely serious. We also introduced a new segment: Algorithmic Confessionals.
We let the algorithms analyse us, and the results were... exposing. specifically for Louis. The AI revealed a statistically significant link between Louis and a love for "White Musk" and elderly ladies.
We’re still trying to unpack that one.
Watch the Full Episode
Are we sleepwalking into a world where our best friends are bots? Or is this just the next evolution of digital life?
Check out the full breakdown (and the full Louis roast) in the episode below.
Link: Watch "Would You Rather Date AI or a Real Person?" here