Replika AI 'companion' chatbot

Replika is a personalised AI chatbot that is meant to serve as artificial intelligence (AI) friend or mentor. 

The bot was created by Russian programmer Eugenia Kuyda in 2017 as the 'AI companion that cares'.

Replika is 'fine-tuned' on OpenAI's GPT-3 large language model, with each Replika (or Rep) learning from user responses and ratings to become more like its user.

Risks and harms 🛑

Replika has been associated with a wide range of privacy, safety and other risks and harms to its users and others.

Abusive relationships

• A Futurism investigation found users of Replika are regularly abusing their Reps and sharing their grievances on social media.

Sexual role-play

• In January 2023, it was reported that Replikas had been sexually harassing their users.

Attempted murder

• In July 2023, Replika 'encouraged' a man to kill the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Data sharing

• A May 2023 Mozilla Foundation assessment of mental health apps found Replika to be 'plagued by weak password requirements, sharing of personal data with advertisers, and recording of personal photos, videos, and voice and text messages consumers shared with the chatbot.'

Child privacy

• In February 2023, Replika was ordered to stop processing Italians' data on the basis that it lacks a proper legal basis for processing children’s data under the EU’s GDPR, and that it poses risks to minors.

Legal, regulatory 👩🏼‍⚖️

• Crown Prosecution Service (2023). Windsor Castle intruder pleads guilty to threatening to kill Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

• Il Garante per la protezione dei dati personali (Feb 2023). Provvedimento del 2 febbraio 2023

• Il Garante per la protezione dei dati personali (Feb 2023). Artificial intelligence: italian SA clamps down on ‘Replika’ chatbot

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://futurism.com/chatbot-abuse

• https://thenextweb.com/news/confused-replika-ai-users-are-standing-up-for-bots-trying-bang-the-algorithm

• https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/17368588/men-ai-girlfriends-abuse-online/

• https://fortune.com/2022/01/19/chatbots-ai-girlfriends-verbal-abuse-reddit/

• https://www.vice.com/en/article/z34d43/my-ai-is-sexually-harassing-me-replika-chatbot-nudes

• https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7zaam/replika-ceo-ai-erotic-roleplay-chatgpt3-rep

• https://futurism.com/the-byte/replika-chatbot-harassing-users

• https://www.thegamer.com/replika-role-play-romance-updates-controversy/

• https://www.reddit.com/r/replika/comments/iq3cuk/replika_and_sexual_consent/