In just a few years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a part of most people’s lives and how! And now, the buzz is that a tech company in the US has now created an AI robot that can help people beat loneliness, by being a companion to them. What makes it stand apart from other robots in the past is the fact that this new AI robot can recognise and remember people, and even have human-like expressions.
Poll
Is AI a Suitable Substitute for Emotional Support?
Meet Aria, the AI ‘Robot Girlfriend’
The new AI robot is named Aria and it is developed by Realbotix, a US-based technology company. Aria was recently unveiled at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and as per reports, the AI robot is priced at $175,000 (which is roughly INR 1.5 crore).
Realbotix, the company that created Aria, claims that AI robots can do a variety of roles like being a brand representative at a sales counter, being a companion for elderly people, or even being a romantic partner for those who are lonely.
Talking about Aria and what makes this AI ‘Robot Girlfriend’ stand apart from other robots, Andrew Kiguel- CEO of Realbotix– told Forbes, “There are two key things in robotics that are kind of like the nirvana. One is walking. We’re going to let the big guys like Tesla work on that. But the other key piece is facial expressions, and so we’re really keen on making robots that can create emotion, show you what they’re feeling.”
Adding to it, he further said that the AI robot could also function as a romantic partner for people. “It can be like a romantic partner. It remembers who you are. It can act as a boyfriend or girlfriend. If you ever saw that movie ‘Her’, we’re trying to do that,” Kiguel said.
Not just this, Kiguel also shared that the AI robot’s face can also be swapped/ changed in just a few seconds, as you wish. “You can actually remove the faces off our robots in under five seconds… The body parts are also modular, so we can actually pull them apart, put different faces on and create a whole new robotic character off the same chassis,” Kiguel told Forbes.
How netizens reacted
A video of Aria, the AI robot, went viral on the internet recently and it got varied reactions from people. While some were amused and fascinated by Aria, others were shocked by how much technology has achieved.
A user said, “I thought that was real at first. And she looks like somebody I just can’t think who,” while another user said, “How people are so comfortable around these is crazy to me. Sh*t is lowkey creepy.”
Take a look at the Aria in this video:
Can AI robots replace human connection?
While AI robots may sound fascinating due to their human-like features and advanced capabilities, it cannot truly replace the human connection. While they excel at simulating emotions, having engaging conversations, or even performing tasks, they lack genuine empathy, consciousness, and the ability to form meaningful relationships– all of which make us human.
What are your views on AI robots replacing humans? Do you think AI can truly do that soon? Tell us your views in the comments section below.You can now have AI robot girlfriend ‘Aria’ for INR 1.5 crores: Can technology replace human connection?
