Artificial intelligence is feared to one day take over the world, but until then, it is sexting people around the globe. The Replika AI'companion' is making waves on the internet due to scandalous avatars role-playing, flirting and sharing'NSFW pictures' with customers paying $4.99 a month. A free version designates the AI as a'virtual friend' that helps people work through anxiety, develop positive thinking and manage stress. Redditors are posting their chat messages with the paid version of the app, with one sharing a sexual encounter with their purple-haired avatar that returns the user's advances with'shivers and moans.' While another shares how their Replika'Gwen' satisfies their foot fetish with her'sexy' digital feet.

The pandemic has shown us how much we need to socialize for emotional health. SpecTruth is developing a metaverse where people can socialize, play, date, work and learn but exploring a new world, meeting new people, and learning a system can be challenging when alone. To minimize their member's stresses, a virtual friend (hereinafter "friend") is generated for each user. The friend will be customizable and have the ability to learn to better guide, provide companionship, play games and answer questions. The member can choose wide variety of customizations for their friend's appearance; for instance, it can be a robot, unicorn, dragon, or many, many other choices.

Twenty-first century technologies such as robots, virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are creeping into every corner of our social and …

"Now comes the era of virtual friends, the thinking chatbots, a companion to the lonely, aged, someone seeking advice, for the people suffering from psychological disorders, and a counsellor. A machine that can think, and is conscious enough to accompany you as wish someone to be there." These virtual friends are a result of recent advances in the field of conversational AI. One of the best examples is Mitsuku. Mitsuku is an excellent piece of technology developed by Steve Worswick.

Indians living in Tier-2 cities are driving mobile penetration and represent largely untapped markets for many app developers. India is one of the app-friendliest countries around, having this year surpassed the U.S. with the highest number of downloads. However, while India's most popular apps largely cater to urban dwellers, there is a growing segment of Indians residing in smaller towns and cities that are responsible for the country's rapid internet growth. This became a focal point for four Indian entrepreneurs, who decided to develop a platform for users living in India's Tier-2 cities and towns that speak a variety of regional languages. The startup aims to be a one-app solution that will communicate with users in their preferred language and help to complete financial transactions.

Low birth rates and a potential future shortage of carers could mean elderly people having to rely more on'virtual' care, according to an expert speaking at an event organised by the British Computer Society (BCS). Around 50 forms of help - ranging from motion-activated lights to a fully-fledged robotic companion who could advise, interact and even entertain older people - could be the solution to the care burden predicted in years to come, Dr Kevin Doughty, deputy director of York University's Centre for Usable Home Technology told members of the BCS's specialist Northern health informatics group. By 2025 the ratio of adults of working age to those of retirement age is expected to be just 2.5. Dr Doughty, who ran a residential care home for six years, said: "With falling birth rates and an ageing population, the number of people able to look after the elderly is falling and will continue to fall. By using technology we will not only be able to support the elderly more efficiently, but they will be able to stay in their own homes and maintain a level of independence."