AI Companion Research
Original editorial research on the AI companion category. Research is analytical and explanatory — how the technology works, what shapes the category, where privacy and design tradeoffs sit. For head-to-head platform tests, see the Lab.
Published research
A technical explainer on how modern AI companion apps implement long-term memory, and why it varies so much across platforms.
ReadWhy AI companion characters drift, and what serious platforms do to keep the same persona stable across models and time.
ReadA practical checklist for evaluating the privacy posture of any AI companion app before you subscribe.
ReadA honest survey of what modern AI companion apps actually support in 2026 — memory, images, video, voice, character creation.
ReadThe distinctions that matter — how AI companions differ from chatbots and virtual assistants in design, memory and intent.
ReadHow research differs from testing
Research is our editorial analysis of how the AI companion category actually works — technology, tradeoffs, patterns. It can be published from public information plus editorial judgment. Testing lives in the Lab and requires hands-on use of each platform against a structured methodology. We keep them separate so a reader always knows which they're reading.
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