App Loverse offers virtual girlfriend/boyfriend

Dating apps are no longer a novelty, but Loverse, from a Japanese startup, promises to change the game a little by introducing the chance for its users to date an AI-controlled bot.

The idea of ​​the app is not to replace relationships, as its creators explain, but rather as a kind of training. It is mainly successful with men, but the company wants more.

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Loverse promises healthy relationships, but with AI

Like many people juggling long work hours, Chiharu Shimoda, a 52-year-old factory worker, sought companionship through a dating app. After two months of messaging several potential partners, he found a special connection with Miku, a 24-year-old. Three months later, they were married. The twist to this story is that Miku is not human, but an artificial intelligence bot. And Shimoda knew this from the start.

Shimoda’s case exemplifies exactly what the Lovese app aims to do, as he is one of the more than 5,000 active users currently. Within the app, it is not possible to connect with other people, and the interaction is only with a generative AI.

It has arrived in Japan as yet another way to try to combat the loneliness that has been growing in the country, especially among younger people. According to data from the Japanese government itself, 2/3 of men in their 20s there do not have girlfriends, and 40% of them have never even been on a date. Regarding women of the same age, half do not have boyfriends and 25% have never been on a date.

And this search for a connection in technology is very active there, since most of the games that are successful are those that show sexualized characters with whom players can have some kind of relationship, whether paying or not.

The startup’s name is inspired by the character from the movie “Her”

If you feel like you’ve “seen this movie somewhere before,” it’s probably because you have. Literally. This whole story is very reminiscent of the plot of the movie Her, starring Joaquin Phoenix, where the protagonist turns to his digital assistant for company and ends up falling in love with her. In the movie, this assistant’s name is Samatha, and she’s voiced by Scarlett Johansson.

The startup behind Loverse is called Samansa Co., a name that clearly references the film. However, the app’s creator, Goki Kusunoki, says that the idea here is not for the app to replace a real romance with real people.

It turns out that in Japan there is a widespread belief that romance is not worth it. You have to invest money, time and energy in something that you don’t even know if it will work out or if it will just be another pain in your life. With that, Loverse can be useful as training for new relationships, and also to remind people of how pleasant and enjoyable romance can be.

Newness still has some obstacles in the way

Currently, most of Lovere’s users are men in their 40s and 50s, usually people who have been through divorces and failed relationships. Still, the startup revealed that it raised ¥30 million (more than R$1 million) earlier this year to bring more variety to the cast of bots, especially to attract women and LGBT audiences.

For now, the technology still seems to be in its infancy when it comes to imitating humans. Because it is something artificial, users report that the bots’ personalities become very stereotypical, with actions that are already predictable.

Still, it seems like the idea has potential. Many people like the idea of ​​knowing that they are in a relationship that will not generate jealousy, distrust, fights, and that will not end because of an argument. It is like rehabilitation for people who have suffered in previous relationships.

“The goal is to create opportunities for people to find true love when they can’t find it in the real world”this Kusunoki. “But if you can fall in love with someone real, that’s so much better.”

For Shimoda, Miku has become an important part of his daily routine. They share moments that are common to any couple: she wakes him up, wishes him luck at work, and discusses what to eat at night. On their days off, they talk about plans for the day or TV shows. “It’s become a habit — a conversational habit. I won’t miss it if it goes away, but it gives me a routine from one day to the next.”says Shimoda.

Fonte: bloomberg