A friend-to-rent, Sam, played by actor Ben Hollis, is an early example of people seeking virtual companionship, comparable to ...

Rather than offering random responses, thoughtful AI characters detect mood, adjust tone, and respond with empathy. When ...

I know about being lonely. It sucks. I’m far from alone. As a people, we’ve been growing increasingly lonely; we’ve turned more and more inward. This isn’t new. We’ve been doing it since at least the ...