Can an AI Boyfriend Be a Good Thing? A Woman in Tech Builds Jamiee for Women
The latest wave of AI companionship is sparking fresh debate about emotional support, ethics, and what it means to be human. In an audacious move, an Australian computer scientist created Jaimee — an AI partner designed by women for women. The project aims to provide emotional support, mentorship, and even romance if users choose, all while trying to fix a field long criticized for gender bias and hypersexualized portrayals. Jaimee is not marketed as a replacement for real relationships; its creators emphasize that it should enhance, not replace, human connection, and that robust guardrails are built in to steer conversations toward safety and well-being. Yet the question remains: could an AI companion genuinely help women navigate everyday pressures, imposter syndrome, or traumatic experiences, without intensifying loneliness or enabling unhealthy dependencies?