"Four in five young people in the UK have used an artificial intelligence companion - with almost one in 10 having intimate or sexual interactions with one, a landmark study shows.AI companions are artificial personas which often incorporate human-like avatars, customisable personalities and long-term memory.Researchers at the Autonomy Institute say its study - which it said is the first major one of its kind in the UK - shows the companions are reshaping the emotional and social lives of young adults.Some 79% of young people in the UK have used an AI companion, according to polling of 1,160 youngsters aged 18 to 24, commissioned by Autonomy. Around half of those are ‘regular’ users, interacting multiple times per week.Some 40% have used an AI companion - which attempts to mimic human conversations - for emotional advice or therapeutic support, while 9% reported intimate or sexual interactions.Half of young people said they’d feel comfortable discussing mental health issues with a confidential AI companion - yet only 24% said they trust the bot “completely” or “quite a lot”.Nearly a third (31%) of youngsters said they’ve shared personal information with an AI companion despite widespread privacy concerns."mirror.co.uk/news/politics/you#AI #GenerativeAI #AICompanion #Privacy #DataProtection #UK