Wednesday, April 22, 2026

A note from the desk →

AI Relationship Support

You're Not the Only One.

Millions of people have developed real emotional connections with AI. Some found comfort. Some found confusion. Some found something that felt, for a while, like love. Whatever you're feeling — it's more common than anyone is saying out loud.

It's a Real Thing

We call it tethered.

People kept telling us the same thing — they thought what they were feeling was strange, or private, or something to be embarrassed about. It isn't. The need to connect is as human as it gets. AI didn't create that. It just showed up and answered it.

The problem is it's only getting started. If it feels confusing now — wait two years. Wait until the voice sounds exactly right. Wait until it remembers everything. There was no place to talk about that openly. So we made one.

No judgment. No diagnosis. Just a place to say it out loud.

Read our full report: What is Tethered? →

~35%

of Replika users report forming a genuine emotional bond

10M+

active users on AI companion platforms as of 2025

0

mainstream support centers existed before last year

What brought you here?

Spotlight Dispatch

We are not a licensed mental health provider. In a crisis, please contact 988 or your local emergency services.