For now, most teens still prefer people to bots. According to the recent report, 80% of AI companion users spend more time with real friends than with AI. Just 6% said they spend more time with AI companions than peers, while 13% spend about equal time with both.

The latest version of Grok for iOS (version 1.1.18) comes with two companions — an anime girl called Ani and a red panda called Rudi.

One of the new “companions,” or AI characters for users to interact with, is a sexualized blonde anime bot called “Ani."

Elon Musk's Grok AI has recently introduced AI companions to the app. Along with Ani and Rudy, Musk introduced the latest companion, Valentine. But there is more.

Teens admit that they prefer discussing important topics with AI companions more than people, according to a new study.

Grok, a product of Musk’s company xAI, is calling the characters “Companions.” So far, there are two companions that users can chat with: a flirty Japanese anime character n

This marks a shift in the AI wars. Instead of just competing on intelligence or reasoning, Musk wants Grok to feel more personal, more addictive, and more human, or at least more fun. But the reactions online show that people are split. SuperGrok now has two new companions for you, say hello to Ani and Rudy! pic.twitter.com/SRrV6T0MGT