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Posted on 05/25/2026 8:46:20 AM PDT by thegagline
***New research has revealed that one in five boys aged 12-16 is either in or knows of a boy their age who is in a romantic relationship with an AI companion. A report carried out by men’s organisation Male Allies UK and published last month spoke with more than 1,000 boys aged 12-16 in focus groups *** The findings make stark reading: eight in 10 boys (85 per cent) have had a conversation with a chatbot, with 43 per cent saying they talk to bots so they can ask questions without feeling embarrassed. More than a quarter (26 per cent) say they like the attention and connection over real-life equivalents, and (36 per cent) admitted that they prefer speaking to AI chatbots rather than to their family and friends at times. ***
It takes less than five minutes for a young boy to create his “dream girlfriend” on one of these platforms. Companions can either be made in a cartoonish “anime” style or look like eerily accurate humans. They come either “ready made” or customised to specific physical preferences. “***
Children and young adults I spoke to for this article tell me that they are frequently targeted by online adverts for these services, which claim that using them will make them more popular, either with friends or with the opposite sex. While some companions are marketed as “friends”, other apps are explicit about their intention to provide a relationship or a “girlfriend” for “romantic talk”. Being “always available”, they offer instant gratification and boast that they can help people “gain confidence” talking to the opposite sex. ***
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
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“Lars and the real girl” is another classic on the subject.
You were lucky enough to have a TV. Many had to rely on Aunt Jemima, the Land-O-Lakes chick, or the Coppertone girl.
Abused itself to death.
bookmark
Don’t forget “Weird Science.”
Three Stooges are a turn off too...I found out.
Well , AI girlfriends will certainly cut down on STD’s, unwanted pregnancies and abortions! Break ups and divorces will be much cheaper as well!
Cosmetic enhancements to your AI girlfriends will also be easy and inexpensive!
We tried a variant of this at IBM Research back in the early 1990s. ELIZA was the thing back then. We teamed with a Boston hospital to support families with leukemic children. The thought was that fathers didn’t ask questions, but that they might ask a computer in the middle of the night. So it was set up as masses of questions a father might have about the situation and phrased as a personal conversation. We also provided videos to repeat instructions they were given while still in shock over the diagnosis so they could actually learn how to support medical issues. I had a cameraman slip down the wall during one of the video sessions.
As for young boys creating companions, actually doesn’t seem like a bad idea if you had more child controls around the app aimed at kids under 18. Controls based on societal norms to help a child become the sort of adult we want them to be to improve society, not degrade it. If kids need to learn how to interact when they’re not learning it at home, why NOT a computer to guide and give positive feedback when there’s positive interactions with the companion?
Barbara Anderson if I had to pick a vintage one.
If you find a woman who likes “The Stooges” marry her quick.
Perhaps parents need to intervene and cut off PC/phone access unless the GF candidates are personalized to be over 16 and not sluts.
Three Stooges are a turn off too...I found out.
They’re all right, they’re over at Cliff’s.
No, no, Sam. What about the Three Stooges?
Oh, yeah, great. I like the Three Stooges. That helps a lot.
Wait a minute, Sam. Think about this. Do women like the Three Stooges?
No, they hate them.
All right. Are women impressed that you like the Three Stooges?
No, some of them even think they’re stupid.
When you’re watching the Three Stooges, do you think they’re sexy?
No, when you watch the Three Stooges, nobody has time to think about sex or women. Hey, wait a minute. That means I do have another interest in my life. I like the Stooges for themselves. Hey, whoa, I’m okay. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!
Exactly. They need to step up and be parents. And stop listening to the clueless ‘experts’ who still think ‘Dr. Spock’ was an expert.
...Tamagotchis arrive at your doorstep...
Needs the music to go with it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM1kzbAgo_E
Dating apps show women find 80% of men unattractive.
Women tend to rate men on a harsh, highly skewed curve, reserving their highest "attractive" ratings for the top 20% of men.
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