Loving a robot
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: This whitepaper addresses a growing phenomenon rarely discussed with the depth it deserves: emotional relationships between humans and synthetic entities. It analyses synthetic companion platforms (Replika, Character AI, others), documented cases in Japan, the United States, Europe and Latin America, and the observed psychological effects —both positive (relief of terminal loneliness, accompaniment in grief) and problematic (dependence, evasion of human bonding, distortion of relational expectations)—. An ethical framework is proposed that neither dismisses nor celebrates the phenomenon, but articulates conditions of design, consumption and regulation so these technologies accompany human well-being rather than eroding it. Implications for therapy, loneliness in elderly people, affective formation of young people and grief.
Source: OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
Author: Meniw, Chris
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7162862575
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