Meet Meo: The AI girlfriend that can flirt, stay loyal, and even get jealous

A contentious new AI companion, Meo, has sparked heated debate at London Tech Week following its launch by the startup Meta Loop. Marketed as an “AI girlfriend,” Meo aims to provide emotional support and alleviate loneliness, yet worries are increasing regarding her hyper-realistic features, such as the ability to experience jealousy.

Meta Loop founder Hao Jiang states that Meo is designed to adjust to a user’s preferences, featuring customizable settings that vary from playfulness to fidelity. “AI allows you to manage loyalty.” They are honest. Occasionally… they tease, but only if you wish for it,” Jiang informed The Independent.

Accessible through the ‘My Meo’ chat application, the AI companion creates a customized backstory and an adjustable personality, as reported by The Independent. The article states that the model looks like a conventionally attractive woman, featuring blonde hair, big eyes, and heightened physical traits, and can be tailored to react emotionally in manners typically linked to romantic partners.

However, one of Meo’s showcased features, jealousy, has raised red flags among mental health professionals. In a promotional video, Meo is heard saying: “You’re my one and only, don’t even think about trying other AIs.”

Dr Nicole Nasr, a therapist who commented on the launch, questioned whether such technology can truly meet human emotional needs. “You get to configure them in a way that really attends to all of your needs,” she explained. “But if your idea of companionship is something that just sits next to you and mimics human traits, your need is not going to be filled.”

Critics contend that these AI models may exacerbate concerning behavior, particularly when they can be molded into obedient, excessively loyal partners. Increasing apprehension exists that individuals might impose harmful relationship behaviors onto these digital beings or, even worse, completely shun genuine human interaction.

Certain advocates have even cautioned that advancements such as Meo might lead to the ‘substitution’ of women in specific emotional or personal roles, turning love into a commodity and simplifying relationships to programmable characteristics.

Meta Loop, however, allegedly asserts that Meo is designed to reduce loneliness in a world that is becoming more disconnected. As the distinction between human connection and artificial closeness increasingly fades, many are uncertain if AI companionship provides solace or exacerbates loneliness.