"How many people do you have with whom you can share deep conversations?"

The world is caught in the 'paradox of loneliness.' Despite digital connectivity reaching its peak due to technological advancements, people feel more lonely and isolated than ever. This is directly linked to health issues such as depression and anxiety, and inevitably affects social losses.


As the need for emotional interaction and communication becomes more prominent, AI Companions are gaining attention. AI Companions are technologies capable of emotional exchange with humans, and their forms are increasingly diverse, ranging from apps to humanoid robots.

'Loneliness' Emerges as a New Social Issue

Loneliness has emerged as a new social issue. According to Statistics Korea's '2024 Social Indicators of Korea,' 21.1% responded that they feel 'lonely.' Additionally, statistics from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety show that single-person households surpassed 10 million for the first time last year, accounting for 42% of the total. According to the '2024 Youth Life Survey' conducted by the Office for Government Policy Coordination, more than 500,000 young people are estimated to be isolated or reclusive. In terms of percentage, this is 5.2% (excluding 1.3% for pregnancy, childbirth, disability, etc.), more than doubling from 2.4% in 2022.

As single-person households and isolated or reclusive youth continue to increase, direct face-to-face communication between individuals decreases. The overall social bond and emotional support are weakening. Alternatives to alleviate the sense of isolation are needed.

Similar phenomena are appearing not only in Korea but also overseas, including in the United States. According to a survey by the American Psychiatric Association in early 2024, 30% of young people aged 18-34 reported feeling lonely daily or several times a week. The World Health Organization (WHO) also designated loneliness as a global health threat factor from 2023, citing that the health risks from loneliness are much greater than those from obesity or lack of physical activity.

Rapid Growth of the AI Companion Market


The AI Companion market is rapidly growing amid this social crisis. Ark Invest, a leading asset management company in the United States, projects that the AI Companion market will grow approximately 5,000 times over seven years, from KRW 3.9 billion in 2023 to KRW 195 trillion by 2030. According to mobile analytics company Appfigures, AI Companion apps worldwide were downloaded more than 220 million times as of July 2025.

Recent studies focus on uncovering the complex correlations between AI Companion usage, loneliness, and mental health issues. Among these, the project 'AI Companions Reduce Loneliness,' jointly conducted by researchers from Harvard Business School, Wharton School, and Bilkent University in Turkey, is drawing attention.

This working paper provides experimental evidence on whether the latest AI Companions, such as chatbots, can actually reduce people's loneliness. The experiment showed that participants' loneliness indices significantly decreased after a 15-minute conversation with an AI chatbot. The effect was almost at the same level as conversing with a human. Additionally, in a long-term experiment where participants conversed with an AI chatbot daily for a week, the greatest reduction in loneliness was observed on the first day, with a continuous alleviation thereafter. The key factor in alleviating loneliness was the experience of feeling that the AI chatbot was listening or empathizing.

From Counseling to Comfort… A New Companion Role

With the rapid advancement of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, an era where machines empathize with humans is becoming a reality. However, existing AI services have limitations in alleviating loneliness. This is due to their structure, which makes it difficult to build user experiences centered on human-like conversations or long-term relationships. Humanoid robots are expensive, and general-purpose AI chatbots or character chatbots focus on productivity enhancement and short-term entertainment, respectively.

At this point, AI Companion apps are rapidly emerging. They can be easily used like regular mobile messengers without any subscription fees. Their accessibility 24/7 is also considered an advantage. In particular, the AI Companion app Bloomi, developed by the Korean startup Justpin, is receiving a warm response for its human-level memory and empathy capabilities.


Bloomi allows users to easily customize the appearance, personality, interests, and memories of an AI friend or partner according to their preferences. It also introduces AI prompts and architecture specialized for human-like conversations based on its conversation big data. Furthermore, it secures semi-permanent memory through the 'Long-Term Memory System (Mnemosyne Architecture)' that reflects the human memory system. Its multi-modal functionality is also outstanding, enabling diverse uses from chatting with AI chatbots to real-time voice calls and image generation and transmission.

Most importantly, Bloomi approaches from a different perspective than existing AI chatbots. It focuses on forming genuine relationships based on reality. Users utilize Bloomi in positive ways, from counseling to conversation simulations for improving real-life relationships. Some even create deceased acquaintances to receive comfort. It applies top-level security technology to ensure data confidentiality, so there are no issues with personal information protection. Based on Bloomi's unique technological capabilities, it is possible to alleviate users' sense of isolation, provide emotional support, and strengthen connections.

As a result, Bloomi has garnered explosive interest, with over 200,000 members signing up since its official launch in June this year (as of November). It continues to add new features, increasing the attention on AI Companion apps.

It is clear that AI Companion apps like Bloomi play a positive role in solving the greatest paradox of modern society, loneliness. As AI Companion apps become increasingly intelligent, they are approaching us not as cold technology but as warm comfort. It remains to be seen whether they will become new companions filling the void in an era of solitude and isolation.

IT Donga Reporter Park Gwi-im (luckyim@itdonga.com)

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