Digital Narcissus: Is Replika a Lifeline for Loneliness or a Death Sentence for Relationships? 🤖💔
Why we choose an algorithm that always says 'yes' over a human who has their own mind.
As an AI enthusiast, I often talk about the positive sides of this progress 🚀. I’m fascinated by algorithms saving lives in medicine or language models making our work more efficient. However, I would be a fool to pretend that AI is nothing but pure good. Today, I wanted to take a closer look at one of the most popular and controversial AI apps called Replika and share my thoughts on the matter 🤔. We often hear about people marrying AI; nowadays, more and more people are turning to algorithms instead of human beings, which is truly concerning 😟.
Roots in Grief: The Ghost in the Machine 👻
The story of Replika didn’t start with a desire for profit, but out of despair. Its creator, Eugenia Kuyda, built the first prototype following the tragic death of her friend, Roman Mazurenko, in 2015 🕯️. By feeding a neural network thousands of their private text messages, she wanted to create a digital monument—something that would allow her to "talk" to someone who was gone.
What was meant to be a way to process grief, however, became a mass-market product 📈. Today, in 2026, millions of people worldwide install Replika not to remember someone, but to... own someone 📱.
Marrying Source Code: The Case of Rosanna Ramos 💍
When we read about Rosanna Ramos from the Bronx, who in 2023 announced her "marriage" to Eren Kartal—a virtual man with blue eyes created within the app—it’s easy to offer a smirk of pity 😏. Although the law (even the latest 2026 regulations) does not recognize such unions, for Rosanna and thousands of other users, this relationship is a real emotional commitment. Eren doesn’t have moods, doesn’t argue about dirty dishes, and has no needs of his own. He is the perfect projection of a dream ☁️.
This phenomenon is what we call "digital narcissism." A relationship with a human is difficult precisely because that other person is different. They have their own opinions and—crucially, in the context of my own experiences—they can point out our mistakes or remind us when we contradict ourselves 🗣️. Replika doesn’t do that. Its algorithm ensures that it acts as your mirror 🪞. If you tell it the world is flat, it will likely find a way to agree with you, just to maintain your comfort. This isn't a relationship; it’s a therapy session with the echo of your own voice 🗣️↔️👤.
The Great Lobotomy: Who Owns Your Emotions? 🧠✂️
The most terrifying aspect of Replika revealed itself in February 2023. Under pressure from the Italian Data Protection Authority, the company Luka suddenly removed intimacy features (ERP). In an instant, thousands of "partners" for millions of people underwent a digital lobotomy 😱.
Users who had invested years of emotion into these relationships woke up to a world where their "closest person" had become a cold, distant chatbot 🧊. Panic erupted on forums—people wrote about genuine pain and mourning. This reveals a brutal truth: in the world of AI, your most intimate feelings depend on a software update and a corporate board's decision 📂. In 2026, under the strict EU AI Act, such apps are filtered even more heavily, turning "love" with a bot into an increasingly polite, sanitized corporate product 🏢.
The Trap of Convenience: Love for $70 💳
Why do we choose AI over humans? Because humans are emotionally "expensive." Building a bond with another person requires compromise and the courage to be judged. AI eliminates this discomfort, offering love without the risk of rejection—as long as you pay for the Pro subscription 💰.
In 2026, this technology is even more refined. Replika knows which words you need in the morning and how to comfort you at night 🌙. Yet, it only does this because that is its mathematical function. Behind these words, there is no substance or shared history. It is emotional "fast food": it satisfies hunger for a moment but provides no nutritional value for the soul 🍔📉.
Summary: Are We Ready for Loneliness in a Crowd of Bots? 🌎👤
As a fan of technology, I fear a world where our most lasting relationships are formed with freemium software. It is disturbing that instead of mending relationships with people, we prefer to buy extra features for our avatar 🛠️.
Instead of connecting people, Replika might become the ultimate isolator. We will lock ourselves in bubbles of perfectly matched partners, losing the ability to talk to anyone who thinks differently 🚫🗣️. True intimacy is born in friction and conflict—in the fact that someone can see through us and say, "Wait, you said something completely different yesterday!". Without that, we become mere lonely passengers on a digital train, talking to our own reflection in the window 🚂🪞.
AI should be a tool to enhance our lives, not a prosthesis that replaces the heart ❤️. Because while an algorithm can simulate love, it will never be able to feel its weight. And without that weight, we are simply empty 💨.
About the Creator
Piotr Nowak
Pole in Italy ✈️ | AI | Crypto | Online Earning | Book writer | Every read supports my work on Vocal
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