The World Health Organization estimates one in six people globally now experience persistent loneliness, and a booming industry of AI companions, chatbots, and virtual girlfriends and boyfriends is rushing to fill that void. At Europe's largest tech showcase, VivaTech, which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year, the conversation shifted from productivity metrics to something more fundamental: how artificial intelligence is reshaping human connection itself.

The numbers tell a striking story. According to Fortune Business Insights, the AI companion market is projected to exceed $400 billion by 2034, signaling massive investor confidence in digital relationships as a mainstream product category. Yet as the technology gains traction, technologists and ethicists are raising alarms about whether today's AI companions are actually designed to help people, or simply to keep them engaged.

Why Are People Turning to AI for Emotional Support?

At VivaTech, everyday users were remarkably candid about their reasons for preferring AI over human connection. One engineering student noted that while people criticize AI for bias, "friends and family are always a lot more biased and often don't fully understand their own motivations and thoughts." Another interviewee described her daily routine of talking to multiple AI platforms, including Meta AI, ChatGPT, and Gemini, whenever she felt down or experienced heartbreak.

Her reasoning revealed a troubling preference: "AI will tell me what I want to hear. AI won't be as realistic as a human. That's why I prefer talking to AI." This candor illustrates the core appeal of AI companions: they offer validation without judgment, reflection without friction, and emotional support without the messy complexity of real relationships.

What Do Experts Say About the Risks?

Daniel Barcay, senior fellow and former executive director at the Center for Humane Technology (the nonprofit behind the documentary "The Social Dilemma"), draws a direct parallel between today's AI companion boom and the early days of social media. He warns that the technology is being designed to maximize engagement rather than genuine human flourishing.

"People are getting this sort of saccharine, simple, narcissistic kind of relationship. The more we lean on AI relationships, the more we disconnect from the real ones," said Barcay.

Daniel Barcay, Senior Fellow and Former Executive Director at the Center for Humane Technology

Barcay's concern isn't that AI companionship is inherently impossible; rather, it's that current systems aren't incentivized to foster the kind of relationships that help people grow. "People are getting used to this kind of mirror, reflection and sycophancy. It makes it much harder to form a relationship with someone where you truly appear, where you can't be the centre of the universe," he explained.

He acknowledged that deep, mutually beneficial AI relationships might theoretically be possible, but emphasized that "today's technology is not being incentivised to do that." The distinction matters: the problem isn't the technology itself, but the business models and design choices driving its development.

How Are Humanoid Robots Approaching Companionship Differently?

While AI chatbots dominate the companion market, humanoid robots are taking a different approach. At VivaTech, French startup Enchanted Tools showcased Miroka, a robot with an animated face deliberately designed to feel approachable rather than threatening. "Most humanoid robots today are kind of scary, full-metal, bipedal machines," explained sales manager Blaise de Préville. "We took the complete opposite approach, creating animated characters first. We even made short films for them".

Miroka is built for environments where users aren't tech specialists, such as care homes, hospitals, and hotels. The design philosophy prioritizes communication over human mimicry. "The face is our primary vector of communication," de Préville noted. "When you see the ears moving, you feel like the robot is listening to you".

Maxtronics, the French robotics company behind the humanoid robot NAO, has spent years thinking about where the line between helpful technology and human replacement should sit. "We're not pretending to be human. We do not want to replace human interaction," said deputy general manager Olivier Guilhem. "It has a face, but it's not a human face, it's designed to facilitate communication".

Where Are Humanoid Robots Actually Making a Difference?

The most compelling use cases for humanoid robots aren't about replacing human connection; they're about enabling it. NAO, which is packed with sensors and can walk, dance, speak, and recognize faces and objects, has found particular success in therapeutic and educational settings. Partnership director Sandrine Tourcher shared a powerful example: "The best example, and one of the reasons I joined the company, is children with autism. They often find it easier to talk with NAO because it doesn't judge them. They feel free to try, retry and even fail".

Sandrine Tourcher

She added that the robot has even facilitated breakthrough moments in therapy. "We even saw one child speak his first words with a therapist, thanks to NAO," Tourcher said. These outcomes align with what Barcay advocates for: AI and robotics steered toward genuine human benefit rather than hollow companionship.

She

Steps to Steer AI Toward Human Flourishing

• Demand Transparency: Ask companies how their AI companion products are designed to foster genuine growth and understanding, not just engagement and retention metrics.
• Support Therapeutic Applications: Advocate for funding and research into AI and robotics that augment human connection in healthcare, education, and care settings rather than replace it.
• Push for Regulatory Oversight: Support policies that require AI companion products to disclose their design incentives and psychological effects, similar to how social media platforms are increasingly scrutinized.

Barcay emphasized that unlike previous technologies, AI can be actively steered toward better outcomes. "AI can be a steward for humanity and for everything we care about. But we need to push it toward being that steward," he stated. "Unlike previous technologies, where you simply had to use whatever a few engineers in Silicon Valley put out, AI can actually be steered much more. Part of what I tell people is: you can steer it today".

Barcay

The distinction between AI companions designed for engagement and those designed for genuine human benefit will likely define the next decade of the industry. As the $400 billion market grows, the choices made by technologists, companies, and users today will determine whether AI becomes a tool for deeper human connection or a sophisticated mirror that keeps us trapped in narcissism.