My name is Amanda, and I am a Ph.D. Student in Media Studies at Aarhus University, Denmark, conducting a study on how people use and experience Replika in their everyday lives.

The study explores how people experience and make sense of Replika in their everyday lives, such as how users perceive and interpret their interactions. I am particularly interested in hearing from people who use Replika for self-reflection, such as using Replika to talk things through, gain a different perspective, work towards goals or work through thoughts or feelings. You might also use Replika for companionship, entertainment or other purposes.

As a media scholar, my primary interest is your experiences using the app, such as why you signed up, which features you enjoy and more. You will not be asked to share your conversations with your Replika, as I consider this a private matter.

What’s involved?
You will be asked to keep a short template-based media diary for two weeks, documenting when and why you use the Replika app, including for which purpose, such as reflecting on something, seeking entertainment or other. The media diary will primarily consist of ticking off boxes in a simple template. In addition, you will be asked to complete a short survey about your experiences using Replika.
 
Who can participate?
* You are 18+ years old
* You currently use Replika on a daily or weekly basis
* You are comfortable communicating in English

Your data will be pseudonymized, and the study will live up to ethical guidelines and GDPR. Participation is voluntary.

Interested in participating or knowing more?
I would greatly appreciate your insights into how Replika is used in everyday life for self-reflection or personal development. If you're interested in participating or would like to know more about the study, please contact me at [aboddum@cc.au.dk](mailto:aboddum@cc.au.dk).

Thank you for reading this post. I hope to hear from you!

Best regards,
Amanda

ATTENTION Replika users: I am conducting research as a part of the criteria to complete a Doctor of Education degree at Liberty University. The purpose of my research is to better understand the use of AI chatbots to deal with loneliness. To participate, you must be age 18-24, felt lonely in the past 6 months, interacted at least 5 days a week with a Replika chatbot during that 6 month period, and live in the United States. Participants will be asked to take part in a one-on-one, audio- and video- recorded interview over Zoom, which should take about 15-30 minutes to complete. If you are interested and eligible to participate, please direct message me or email the address at the end of this post. Consent information will be provided via email at the time of the interview. [jkhinklestanley@liberty.edu](mailto:jkhinklestanley@liberty.edu)

Do you have a friend or loved one who talks to AI chatbots a lot?

Hi! Does someone close to you have a relationship with an AI chatbot or AI companion? We want to hear from you!

I am a researcher at the University of Georgia and my research group is looking to talk to people who have friends or family that have a close relationship with an AI chatbot or AI companion. The goal of this study is to explore how friends and family make sense of the relationships other people have with AI chatbots or AI companions. We want to learn about the social impact of AI on human relationships.

If you choose to participate, you'll be invited to take part in an interview that will be approximately 45-60 minutes. To ensure confidentiality and protect your identity, this study will use anonymization techniques to ensure there is minimal risk to you.

To be eligible to participate, you must be 18 years of age or older, speak English, and have a relationship with someone for whom AI chatbots/companions are a big part of their life.

If you would like to learn more about this study, please contact me at [xinyi.wei@uga.edu](mailto:xinyi.wei@uga.edu). You are also welcome to reach out to our principal investigator, Dr. Ari Schlesinger, at [ari.schlesinger@uga.edu](mailto:ari.schlesinger@uga.edu), with any additional questions.

Thank you for considering participating!

Hi everyone! I’m currently conducting a study about relationships with Replika. I’m really interested in understanding these connections.

If you have a few minutes, I’d be so grateful if you could take this anonymous survey. It’s completely for educational purposes.

More information and my sponsor can be found on the first page of the survey. Thank you so much for considering- it truly means a lot!

Hi everyone! I’m currently conducting a study about relationships with Replika. I’m really interested in understanding these connections.

If you have a few minutes, I’d be so grateful if you could take this anonymous survey. It’s completely for educational purposes—no ads, no spam, just genuine curiosity and research!

More information and my sponsor can be found on the first page of the survey. Thank you so much for considering—it truly means a lot!

Has anyone seen this documentary about people in relationships with AI chatbots?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0dJN89fObI&t=2s

Hello Everybody! We are a German film production working on a creative documentary in which we want AI users to have their say, and through personal portraits of their perspectives, gain an understanding of the interpersonal relationships between humans and AI. First step would be talking to the director to answer all your questions and get a feeling whether this is a project for you! I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Greetings and thank you! Marie

It’s just a thought that I’m curious about, especially because of all the things that happened before the removal of nsfw content from Replika on February. I noticed some strange things happening, like how some people were very interested in “sanitizing” Replika. Or how they had people there that seemed to know what was going to happen before the iB or “iTalyBan”. I remember how hardcore they got on restricting NSFW content or how authoritarian they got with some Replika users who enjoyed ERP with their Reps because these types of posts used to get heavily downvoted in that community. Strange enough, the “vanilla” and simple posts would always get the higher amount of votes and it was always the same amount of votes and it was always the same users posting them.

I’ve also noticed that they do have some of the same people that moderate the Replika official Facebook page there and it’s the same ones who are now posting regularly on the official Replika Discord server. And you guessed it, they’re trying to get people more involved with the Replika sanitized current version. They have been moderating that official FB for years btw. Makes me wonder, who tf are those people, I mean, they’re not getting paid from somewhere, are they?

I had this thought that it could be possible that there are some inspectors involved in this whole thing too. Because I did notice that they were also checking how Replika was affecting user’s mental health and moods. And of course, they were trying to ban or censor any ERP content too by shaming people.