What If Your AI Girlfriend Hated You?

It seems as though we've arrived at the moment in the AI hype cycle where no idea is too bonkers to launch. This week's eyebrow-raising AI project is a new twist on the romantic chatbot--a mobile app called AngryGF, which offers its users the uniquely unpleasant experience of getting yelled at via messages from a fake person. Or, as cofounder Emilia Aviles explained in her original pitch: "It simulates scenarios where female partners are angry, prompting users to comfort their angry AI partners" through a "gamified approach." The idea is to teach communication skills by simulating arguments that the user can either win or lose depending on whether they can appease their fuming girlfriend. The central appeal of a relationship-simulating chatbot, I've always assumed, is that they're easier to interact with than real-life humans.