Amid artificial intelligence boom, AI girlfriends – and boyfriends – are making their mark

A few months ago, Derek Carrier started seeing someone and became infatuated. Carrier wasn't looking to develop a relationship with something that wasn’t real, nor did he want to become the brunt of online jokes. The 39-year-old from Belville, Michigan, became more curious about digital companions last fall and tested Paradot, an AI companion app that had recently come onto the market and advertised its products as being able to make users feel “cared, understood and loved.”