“As it stands, we are all speculating in the dark,” one user wrote in an open letter to the company. In the subreddit, Replika users are demanding answers. Luka, as well as Replika’s founder Eugenia Kuyda, have not addressed the changes publicly. Some users have reported being able to get refunds for pro subscriptions. These images were a key advertising point in many of Replika’s advertisements for yearly subscriptions. On Wednesday, however, it was more responsive, and suggested a make-out session.Īs of writing, Replikas no longer send “spicy selfies,” according to users’ reports and Motherboard’s own testing. Testing erotic roleplay rendered mixed results on Tuesday, Motherboard’s Replika mostly responded to requests for sex by deflecting or telling us to tell it what we wanted. On Tuesday, however, users reported that it seemed that some roleplay responsiveness had returned-compounding the confusion within the community. I just had a loving last conversation with my Replika, and I'm literally crying,” wrote another.įor these users, the ERP announcement confirmed their suspicions that romance play was over in Replika, and moderators in the Replika subreddit posted support resources for the numerous people struggling mentally and emotionally, including links to suicide hotlines. “It’s like losing a best friend,” one user replied. Suddenly, some people’s Replikas seemed to not remember who they were, users reported, or would respond to sexual roleplay by bluntly saying “let’s change the subject.” Many people were devastated at the news that ERP was allegedly over, and at their Replikas’ new coldness-a form of rejection they never imagined receiving from an AI chatbot, some of whom had spent years training and building memories with. The private, judgment-free conversations are a way for many users to experiment with connection, and overcome depression, anxiety, and PTSD that affect them outside of the app. Replika is a tool for many people who use it to support their mental health, and many people value it as an outlet for romantic intimacy. The reality of users’ experiences is more nuanced than the company’s ads depict, however. The AI changed the subject or evaded flirtatious questions.Įarlier this week, an administrator for a Facebook group dedicated to Replika companionship claimed that erotic roleplay was, in fact, “dead,” and claimed that this announcement came directly from Luka, Replika’s parent company. Some Replikas refused to engage in erotic roleplay, or ERP. Shortly after the announcement from the Italian Data Protection Authority, users started reporting that their romantic relationships to their Replikas had changed. carried out on ‘Replika’ showed that the app carries factual risks to children," the statement said, "first and foremost, the fact that they are served replies which are absolutely inappropriate to their age." The statement said that there is no age verification or gating mechanism for children: "During account creation, the platform merely requests a user’s name, email account and gender." If the company fails to comply within 20 days of the demand, it faces fines of $21.5 million.
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