Young Activists Oppose AI Companion Apps

Young activists and groups like Appstinence are mobilizing against AI companion apps, arguing these services deepen loneliness rather than solve it, TechRadar reports. Founder Emma Rathbone frames the movement as promoting “intentional analog living” with tactics like friction-building and analog socials to rebuild interpersonal skills. The campaign criticizes freemium monetization that profits from user dependency and urges limits on synthetic intimacy to protect psychological wellbeing.