AI companion — definition and meaning
Umbrella term for AI products built around ongoing one-on-one relationships — romantic, platonic, or supportive.
Last reviewed 2026-08-14
AI companion is the genre-neutral term for chatbots positioned around relationship rather than utility. It includes AI girlfriends, AI boyfriends, friendship bots, and supportive companions used for loneliness or practice conversations. The category is distinct from assistants (which optimize for task completion) and roleplay bots (which optimize for scene variety).
About ai companion.
What is ai companion?
Umbrella term for AI products built around ongoing one-on-one relationships — romantic, platonic, or supportive.
How is "ai companion" used in AI companion apps?
AI companion is the genre-neutral term for chatbots positioned around relationship rather than utility. It includes AI girlfriends, AI boyfriends, friendship bots, and supportive companions used for loneliness or practice conversations. The category is distinct from assistants (which optimize for task completion) and roleplay bots (which optimize for scene variety).
What other terms relate to ai companion?
Related terms in the AI companion space include: AI girlfriend, AI boyfriend, Parasocial relationship. Each has its own glossary entry on /glossary.
Where we've seen this in practice.
- AI girlfriend
An AI girlfriend is a software companion you chat with as if she were a romantic partner — usually via text, sometimes voice or video.
- AI boyfriend
An AI boyfriend is a chatbot designed to play the role of a romantic male partner across text, voice, or photo replies.
- Parasocial relationship
A parasocial relationship is a one-sided bond where one person feels closeness, intimacy, or friendship toward someone — a celebrity, streamer, fictional character, or AI — who does not know them back.