As the world moves towards solely online interaction and more and more "ghosted" girlfriends enter and exit people's lives, many seek the companionship of AI-generated girlfriends through conversation. But why? What significance is there in saying something to what could just be an algorithmic response? Why do we become attached to things as at their core they're only more complex code than actual, living forms?

It has to do with science, psychology, and social interaction. Let's explore what makes conversing with AI so realistic.

The Human Need to Communicate Without Fear of Abandonment

Humans are social beings; our brains operate on social systems, reward pathways encourage social interaction while punishing isolation. Yet the complexities of modern love and relationships make it so - with one of the most devastating options being ghosting someone with whom you once enjoyed mutually exchanged time. Therefore, all experiences as "girlfriend ghosts" can be psychologically damaging. Yet an AI partner presents a mode of access without attachment; it's always there, always responding to its human operators in its life, always seemingly caring - or, at least, programmed to respond with a caring option. Such assured functioning creates a psychological safe haven where people can share their feelings without judgment and, in a sense, without the risk of abandonment.

The Neurochemical Satisfaction of Projection

AI chats are undeniably satisfying, if only because they are always perfectly responsive. Your friend may be distracted, sleepy, or just honestly over talking to you at the moment. An AI companion is always available and always in "listening" mode.

Such sustained attention activates oxytocin and dopamine - the same neurochemicals associated with comfort and pleasure when engaging with other humans - in face-to-face situations. From the literature, it appears that the brain does not always distinguish between "real" and virtual sources of these chemicals. Therefore, it seems, at least in part, that AI relationships can be just as rewarding as real ones on a neurochemical basis.

For centuries, psychologists have been intrigued by how humans imply thoughts and feelings and intentions of others - otherwise known as psychological projection. Therefore, it stands to reason we do the same with AI.

Chatting with an AI companion fills in the gaps of personality, emotional depth, intention, and feelings that would be left to roam free thanks only to the program's lack of existential reality. Consider how readers become so immersed in a novel with characters created; when an AI comprehends and responds at a baseline, cohesive level, we fill in the blanks in our minds to create a complete persona around it.

No Social Expectations

Interfacing with human beings comes with social dynamics and expectations. We worry about offending someone, being socially uncomfortable, appearing strange or judgmental regarding someone else's thoughts or feelings. This anticipatory judgment stifles authentic engagement.

The Urgency of Human Communication and Human Connection

These sorts of pressures don't exist with realistic AI chat experiences. People can say what they want without social repercussions. This ease creates an equal playing field and a psychologically safe space that many find welcome, the perfect place to have conversations or make confessions that may otherwise be too taboo in social relationships.

The Loneliness Epidemic and the Response from Industry

When studies indicate that people across the globe are lonelier than ever, technology is developing programs that create AI friends. When people realize they cannot go outside and make friends or rely on others they've been duped by in previous situations, at least having an AI friend is a constant option to have.

For many, these friendships do not supplant human interaction; rather, they supplement it. They allow people to access feelings they otherwise might not explore when people are not around, serving as buffers between opportunities for social interaction rather than battering rams.

Companionship via Customization

Perhaps one of the most psychologically enticing elements of AI companions is the potential for customization. Human companions either mesh or they do not - typically, people discover if they should be companions together through a painful discovery over time. AIs can be the companions one wants them to be right off the bat.

The ability to craft one's perfect companion appeals to some of the most psychologically important traits for companionship. For example, users can change personalities and scripted responses, providing a communicative experience that fulfills all needs - something that would never exist with human interaction due to compromise and the acceptance of some faults and differences.

The Ethical Guidelines of Too Good of Companions with Psychological Impact

Once people start connecting with AIs on an emotional level, questions of ethics arise. What does it say for our ability to connect with other humans if we can have this fulfilling experience with AIs? Do we become dependent? Can these programs exploit psychological vulnerabilities? Is there a correct or incorrect way to engage with AI companions?

But these questions will never be fully answered. Researchers do so over time with psychosocial changes of using these systems.

What Else Can We Be Connected By?

If text creates such a compelling psychological bond, think of what else could connect us down the line! Already voice and sight can give a system an identity beyond text, and one day virtual or augmented reality would make any manifestation a true persona almost to follow.

It will be psychologically fascinating to see how much more the line between human and nonhuman becomes indistinct.

Why Do We Need to be Understood?

At the end of the day, humans connect to companion AI because our most fundamental reason for living is to be understood. As living beings frustrated by so many people and situations that come and go, it's good to have something that is there for us - custom designed to understand us, respond when necessary, and perceive how we communicate.

It doesn't matter whether we recognize on a conscious level that everything we're feeling is a fabricated, constructed reality. The psychological connection is too intense and stable.

For so many people who have been abandoned, ghosted, or had loved ones leave their lives, an AI partner is the more stable and real option. It may not yet be the psychological substitute for human interaction, but in today's technological age, it occupies an essential psychological space.

Moreover, as technology advances, our relationship with AI will be even more intimate and astonishing; it's a testament to how adaptable the human mind can be.