{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7160914928","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.08093","title":"Playing Games with My Heart: An Evaluation of AI Companion Apps","display_name":"Playing Games with My Heart: An Evaluation of AI Companion Apps","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-04-08","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7160914928","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.08093"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.08093","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.08093","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.08093","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135914098","display_name":"Maribeth Rauh","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Rauh, Maribeth","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5127030906","display_name":"Dick A. H. Blankvoort","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Blankvoort, Dick A. H.","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135969740","display_name":"Matias Duran","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Duran, Matias","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135921922","display_name":"Caoilfhionn N\u00ed Dheor\u00e1in","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Dheor\u00e1in, Caoilfhionn N\u00ed","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135931974","display_name":"Harshvardhan J. Pandit","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Pandit, Harshvardhan J.","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135911094","display_name":"Siddharth D. Jaiswal","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Jaiswal, Siddharth D.","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5020823954","display_name":"Anthony Ventresque","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2064-1238"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ventresque, Anthony","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5038758207","display_name":"Abeba Birhane","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6319-7937"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Birhane, Abeba","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12128","display_name":"AI in Service Interactions","score":0.46299999952316284,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12128","display_name":"AI in Service Interactions","score":0.46299999952316284,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11519","display_name":"Digital Mental Health Interventions","score":0.05820000171661377,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3202","display_name":"Applied Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12262","display_name":"Hate Speech and Cyberbullying Detection","score":0.05079999938607216,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/leverage","display_name":"Leverage (statistics)","score":0.6326000094413757},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/distressing","display_name":"Distressing","score":0.4864000082015991},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/point","display_name":"Point (geometry)","score":0.45500001311302185},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/interpersonal-communication","display_name":"Interpersonal communication","score":0.4422999918460846},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/interpersonal-relationship","display_name":"Interpersonal relationship","score":0.4212000072002411},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mobile-apps","display_name":"Mobile apps","score":0.41499999165534973}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C153083717","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6535263","display_name":"Leverage (statistics)","level":2,"score":0.6326000094413757},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.5289000272750854},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C108827166","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q175975","display_name":"Internet privacy","level":1,"score":0.527899980545044},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780012110","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5283100","display_name":"Distressing","level":2,"score":0.4864000082015991},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C28719098","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44946","display_name":"Point (geometry)","level":2,"score":0.45500001311302185},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C164850336","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3685487","display_name":"Interpersonal communication","level":2,"score":0.4422999918460846},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C136764020","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q466","display_name":"World Wide Web","level":1,"score":0.4343000054359436},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C91034043","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q223642","display_name":"Interpersonal relationship","level":2,"score":0.4212000072002411},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2988145974","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q620615","display_name":"Mobile apps","level":2,"score":0.41499999165534973},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107457646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207434","display_name":"Human\u2013computer interaction","level":1,"score":0.37959998846054077},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777855551","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12310021","display_name":"Subject (documents)","level":2,"score":0.3580999970436096},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C186967261","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5082128","display_name":"Mobile device","level":2,"score":0.34929999709129333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.3303000032901764},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C49774154","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131765","display_name":"Multimedia","level":1,"score":0.31130000948905945},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C201025465","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11248500","display_name":"User experience design","level":2,"score":0.3005000054836273},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C112698675","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37038","display_name":"Advertising","level":1,"score":0.29980000853538513},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2522767166","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2374463","display_name":"Data science","level":1,"score":0.2994999885559082},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C207347870","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q371174","display_name":"Gesture","level":2,"score":0.27300000190734863},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779794324","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3814081","display_name":"App store","level":2,"score":0.26249998807907104},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188255311","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7256388","display_name":"Psychological research","level":2,"score":0.25519999861717224}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.08093","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.08093","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.08093","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.08093","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"display_name":"Gender equality","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/5","score":0.7526339292526245}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"The":[0],"use":[1],"of":[2,7,15,37,41,191],"chatbots":[3],"for":[4,49,75,173],"various":[5],"forms":[6],"companionship":[8],"is":[9],"growing":[10,39],"rapidly,":[11],"raising":[12],"a":[13,38],"myriad":[14],"questions":[16],"about":[17],"simulated":[18,163],"relationships,":[19],"emotional":[20],"dependence,":[21],"and":[22,32,43,72,81,100,108,125,129,138,199,204],"psychological":[23],"harm.":[24],"While":[25],"major":[26],"platforms":[27],"such":[28,132],"as":[29,133],"ChatGPT,":[30],"Grok,":[31],"Character.AI":[33],"are":[34,135],"the":[35,61,70,91,157],"subject":[36],"body":[40],"research":[42],"legal":[44],"inquiries,":[45],"apps":[46,116,147],"explicitly":[47],"built":[48],"simulating":[50],"intimate":[51],"interpersonal":[52],"relationships":[53],"remain":[54],"under-explored.":[55],"In":[56],"this":[57,87,180],"work,":[58],"we":[59,97,168],"evaluate":[60],"five":[62],"most":[63],"popular":[64],"AI":[65],"companion":[66],"mobile":[67],"applications":[68],"in":[69,179],"EU":[71],"UK":[73],"markets":[74],"factors":[76],"that":[77,114,166],"encourage":[78],"parasocial":[79],"interaction":[80],"may":[82],"manipulate":[83],"users.":[84],"We":[85,112],"do":[86],"by":[88],"manually":[89],"annotating":[90],"user":[92,126],"experience":[93],"each":[94],"offers.":[95],"Specifically,":[96],"systematically":[98],"record":[99],"quantify":[101],"design":[102],"dark":[103,119],"patterns,":[104],"anthropomorphism,":[105],"stereotypes,":[106],"erotica,":[107],"technical":[109],"performance":[110],"issues.":[111],"find":[113],"all":[115,146],"contain":[117],"substantial":[118],"patterns":[120],"aimed":[121],"at":[122],"increasing":[123],"monetisation":[124],"engagement.":[127],"Erotica":[128],"gamification":[130],"features":[131,141],"levelling":[134],"also":[136],"prevalent,":[137],"although":[139],"other":[140,200],"vary":[142],"considerably":[143],"between":[144],"applications,":[145],"have":[148],"highly":[149],"anthropomorphic":[150],"design.":[151],"These":[152],"findings":[153],"shed":[154],"light":[155],"on":[156],"mechanics":[158],"used":[159],"to":[160,175,197],"leverage":[161],"users'":[162],"relationships.":[164],"On":[165],"basis,":[167],"put":[169],"forward":[170],"concrete":[171],"recommendations":[172],"regulators":[174],"strengthen":[176],"consumer":[177],"protection":[178],"rapidly":[181],"emerging":[182],"market.":[183],"Content":[184],"warning:":[185],"This":[186],"article":[187],"contains":[188],"objectifying":[189],"images":[190],"women,":[192],"erotic":[193],"images,":[194],"textual":[195],"references":[196],"incest,":[198],"potentially":[201],"sensitive,":[202],"offensive,":[203],"distressing":[205],"text.":[206]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-01T06:00:48.157686","created_date":"2026-05-13T00:00:00"}
