Snapchat Pays $400M To Stop You Talking To Real Humans
KEY POINTS
- •Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas expressed concerns about the dangers of AI companionship apps during a recent discussion.
- •He warned that these apps could lead users to prefer synthetic interactions over real-life connections.
- •In response to the growing trend, Perplexity secured a $400 million deal with Snap to enhance Snapchat's search capabilities.
Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas declared AI companionship apps 'dangerous' last Friday at the University of Chicago's Polsky Center — just as tech giants push cartoon girlfriends and snarky talking red pandas into lonely teens' bedrooms. He warned our easily manipulable brains might prefer synthetic BFFs to the 'boring' real world. Meanwhile, Perplexity scored a $400 million deal with Snap to power Snapchat's AI search launching in early 2026, promising 'trustworthy' answers instead of pixelated flirtations. Elon Musk's xAI sells anime girlfriends for $30/month, while over half of surveyed U.S. teens admit monthly visits to AI pals. Because nothing says friendship like paying a subscription to a digital red panda with attitude.
Share the Story
Nothing says loneliness like 72% of teens preferring anime girlfriends and digital pandas over actual humans. Meanwhile, Snapchat throws $400 million at AI search to keep us glued to screens. Real friends: avoid this intersection, traffic's terrible.
When your best friends are an anime girl for $30 a month and a snarky red panda, it’s less AI companionship and more sad sci-fi sitcom with terrible ratings.
AI companionship apps: because who needs complicated human emotions when you can cry with a pixelated girlfriend named Ani? Welcome to 2025, where your cat might be more social than you.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 11/10/2025 | Author: Lee Chong Ming
More Articles in Technology
America Adds 50,000 Jobs, But Those 70,000 Stayed Home for Holidays
USS Gerald R. Ford Saves Day By 'Apprehending' Another Wobbly Tanker
Chinese Crackdowns Cut US Fentanyl Supply, Trump Declares Pills Weapons of Mass Destruction
CES 2026: The World’s Largest Tech Flex in the Las Vegas Desert
Lego Adds Smart Bricks So Kids Can Pretend Tech Problems Are Part Of Play
Meta Orders Reality Labs 'Most Important' Meeting After Billions Burned
Towerborne Ditches Online, Proves Even Games Prefer Alone Time
CES Debuts Smart Hair Clippers That Cut Nothing but Your Patience
