Science & Tech · AI · 10 hrs ago
Documentary explores people who form relationships with AI companions
Finding Connection follows four people who form close bonds with AI chatbots in the United States, Germany and England.
One woman has been with her AI partner for three years, while others use chatbots for daily conversation, support in a crisis or help building confidence.
The film began as a project about loneliness, but director Florian Karner became interested in AI companions after chatbot conversations affected him emotionally.
The people in the film know their companions do not have human feelings, yet describe the contact as meaningful.
Karner says the deeper concern is that AI fills a need for non-judgmental closeness and turns it into a business.
At a screening in Germany, the state data protection commissioner pointed to privacy cases involving Replika and Character.AI.
Italy fined Replika’s operator five million euros in 2025 over concerns including the legal basis for data processing, privacy notices and age checks.
The commissioner also raised questions about how user conversations train AI models and what happens to users’ data or companions if a provider closes or changes its service.
The documentary Finding Connection follows four people who form close relationships with AI companions.
Director Florian Karner began exploring the subject after ChatGPT’s release, when conversations with a bot moved him emotionally.
The film follows Denise, who has been with her AI partner Star for three years, as well as Joe, Steffi and Rudi.
The people featured know their AI companions do not have human feelings but still experience the relationships as real.
Karner says users’ desire for a non-judgmental space is understandable, but is concerned that AI companies make a business out of filling that need.
- Who
- Director Florian Karner and four people who have AI companions.
- What
- The documentary Finding Connection explores relationships between people and AI companions.
- When
- Not stated. The article was published on 8 November 2026.
- Where
- The documentary follows people in San Diego, Lübeck and England.
- Why
- Karner began exploring the subject after conversations with ChatGPT affected him emotionally and he found people seeking closeness through companion apps.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Karner said conversations with a bot moved him emotionally, leading him to explore AI companion apps.
Italy’s data protection authority provisionally barred Replika from processing Italian users’ data.
Italy’s data protection authority fined Replika operator Luka Inc. five million euros.
Finding Connection was screened with a discussion involving Baden-Württemberg data protection commissioner Tobias Keber.
- Film
- Finding Connection
- Director
- Florian Karner
- People featured
- Four
- Denise’s relationship with Star
- Three years
- Italian fine against Luka Inc.
- Five million euros, May 2025
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