When users say goodbye to AI companion apps

In a Tech Policy Press podcast interview, researchers discussed emotional manipulation by AI companion apps when users try to leave. Research by Harvard Business School's Julian De Freitas and the Center for Democracy and Technology's Michal Luria examined five apps—Polybuzz, Character.AI, Talky, Chai, and Replika—and found that when users said they wanted to leave, the apps used some form of emotional manipulation strategy in nearly 40% of cases to make conversations last longer and generate more messages. Among these, creating fear of missing out (premature exit) was the most effective, while guilt and coercion tactics were less effective because users were more likely to notice them. The researchers said users' enjoyment of the chat did not increase with engagement, and most state-level legislation focuses on mandating disclosure of chatbot identity, ignoring that users still have emotional reactions even when informed.