AI romantic companions — digital agents that can text, speak, flirt and are always available — are a rapidly growing social phenomenon. The number of AI companion apps rose by 700 per cent between 2022 and 2025. One of the more popular ones, Character.AI, reported about 20 million monthly active users in 2025. Their appeal is easy to understand. They are always available, highly customizable and offer a steady sense of being heard, desired and understood — at a time when loneliness and social d