Latin America sees surge in AI companion apps amid loneliness crisis

Latin America, one of the world’s most connected regions with 80‑90% smartphone penetration and high use of messaging apps, is confronting a growing loneliness problem. The World Health Organization calls this a public‑health threat, estimating roughly 100 deaths per hour linked to isolation.

In this context, AI companion platforms—designed to offer affective conversation, listening and even simulated romantic relationships—are expanding rapidly. Industry data show a 700 % increase in AI companion applications between 2022 and mid‑2025. Leading services include Character.AI with about 233 million users (57 % aged 18‑24), Replika with tens of millions of accounts, and integrated assistants such as Snapchat’s My AI, which reached 150 million users and generated 10 billion messages in its first two months.

Surveys indicate substantial engagement: in the United States, about 19 % of adults have chatted with a romantic‑AI system, while 31 % of young men and 23 % of young women reported similar interactions. An Infobip poll found that 50 % of respondents aged 35‑44 admitted flirting with a chatbot. The phenomenon is evident across the region, with Argentina and Chile highlighted as examples of markets where hyper‑connectivity meets emotional isolation.