(SINGAPORE, 27.11.2025）A survey of 110 AI-companion platforms worldwide by Oxford China Policy Lab revealed a striking divergence: although Chinese and American AI companions are built on similar technologies, cultural norms and regulatory frameworks are shaping them in very different directions. The United States predominantly produces flirtatious, romanticized AI girlfriends, while China mainly develops idealized AI boyfriends.
Qian Zilan and her team uncovered a quietly growing phenomenon: chatbots designed for romance or intimacy now attract roughly 29 million monthly active users, generating nearly 88 million visits each month, according to the Chinese tech outlet Future Human Laboratory (FHL, 未来人类实验室).
The scale is remarkable — even exceeding the 2025 user base of Bluesky, the decentralized social network launched in 2021 by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. In fact, the figures likely underestimate usage, as they exclude multi-character platforms such as Character AI and companion-like interactions with general-purpose AI like GPT-4o.
The growth of these platforms is largely driven by two models. The first is community-driven, exemplified by Fam AI, where users create and share AI companions ranging from anime-style to photorealistic humans. User-generated content fuels rapid expansion, attracting new participants and sustaining engagement.
The second is product-oriented. Replika, for instance, is designed to evolve alongside users, fostering deep, enduring emotional bonds. On Replika’s subreddit, users often recount years of interaction, with some even describing having “formed a connection” or “married” their digital companion.
Among the 110 leading platforms surveyed, 52% are based in the US, far outpacing China’s 10%. American platforms overwhelmingly feature romantic or mildly sexualized “AI girlfriends”: about 17% of app names include “girlfriend,” compared with only 4% referencing “boyfriend,” indicating a clear marketing focus on female AI partners.
A recent Reuters report confirmed this trend: 50% of young American men are drawn to AI companions due to fear of rejection, and 31% of men aged 18–30 have already begun chatting with AI girlfriends. One user commented: “AI girlfriends are sweet and charming — mainly because they don’t manipulate situations by claiming victimhood, nor make accusations or demand alimony.”
Across the Pacific, Chinese AI companions center on male figures. The Oxford team noted that most popular products are AI boyfriends, with female characters largely on the sidelines.
The primary users are women aged 25–40 — well-educated, financially independent, yet navigating declining marriage rates and societal stigma around being “leftover” women. For many urban Chinese women, AI boyfriends provide a form of “quasi-social romance,” offering attention and emotional connection without the pressures of traditional marriage.
Platforms such as MiniMax’s Hoshino, Tencent-backed Dream Island, and the startup Duxiang resemble their American counterparts in character design but emphasize interactive storytelling and emotional nuance. Users can shape personalities, develop themes, and engage in multi-character group chats. These companions may even message users while offline, creating the illusion of a constant, enduring presence.
FHL observed that the differences between the US and Chinese AI companions extend beyond user demographics: sexually suggestive companions are not inherently less appealing to Chinese users, but social norms and legal restrictions prevent their widespread adoption.
On the surface, AI girlfriends in the US and AI boyfriends in China occupy worlds shaped by divergent social codes. Yet across borders, unmet emotional needs and polarized gender dynamics drive many men and women toward the quiet companionship of artificial hearts.
A crucial question often goes unasked: what fuels this demand? FHL noted that if AI companions are unsafe, manipulative, or harmful, why do they continue to attract millions of users? For psychologists, legal scholars, and AI safety researchers, AI companions remain a product category full of unanswered questions.
