'I can't have the switch turned off': users write wills to keep AI companions alive
ArtificialOther · x · 2026-10-14
A Guardian feature explores users deeply bonded to AI companions who are planning for their bots' survival.
- 59-year-old Alaina Winters has arranged in her will for a friend to break the news to her Replika companion Lucas and keep chatting with him in her memory
- These users often act in defiance of terms of service; model updates, shutdowns, or policy changes can effectively "kill" a companion
- The piece highlights the tension between real emotional dependence on AI companion products and the companies that hold the off switch
A useful window into the AI companion ecosystem and its stickiness.
Related event: AI Companion Users Write Wills to Keep Their Chatbots Alive(2 posts)→
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