A new artificial intelligence (AI) companion called Meo has been launched by start-up Meta Loop. The controversial product was unveiled at London Tech Week and is being marketed as an “AI girlfriend.” Its main purpose is to provide emotional support and help with loneliness. However, its hyper-realistic traits, including the ability to feel jealousy, have raised concerns among experts.

Personalization features How does Meo work? Meo can be accessed through the ‘My Meo’ chat app. The AI companion creates a unique backstory and a customizable personality for each user. Meta Loop founder Hao Jiang said, “With AI, you can control loyalty. They don’t cheat. Sometimes… they flirt, but only if you want them to.” This means users have a say in how loyal or flirtatious their AI partner is.

AI characteristics The avatar is that of a conventionally attractive woman Meo’s avatar is that of a conventionally attractive woman with blonde hair, big eyes, and exaggerated physical features. The AI can also be programmed to respond emotionally in ways that are usually expected from human partners. This hyper-realism has sparked a debate about the ethical implications of such advanced AI technology in personal relationships.

Ethical implications Can AI truly meet emotional needs? One of Meo’s features, jealousy, has raised alarms among mental health professionals. In a promotional video, AI 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. She said, “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.”

Potential risks Concerns about normalization of toxic behavior Critics have warned that AI models like Meo could normalize toxic behavior, especially when they can be programmed to be submissive and overly loyal. There are fears that users might project unhealthy relationship dynamics onto these digital entities or, worse, avoid real human connection altogether. Some campaigners have even warned that developments like Meo could contribute to the ‘replacement’ of women in certain emotional or intimate roles.

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Politeness is (not) priceless

Hold on to your pleases! Saying please and thank you to ChatGPT isn’t only cute—it’s costly! OpenAI’s CEO spilt the tea: All that extra kindness racks up millions in AI bills. Yep, being polite adds more words (aka tokens), which means more $$$. Talk sweet, but maybe in fewer words?

Disclaimer: Using AI should be for guidance only and not a substitute for authentic personal experience or honest responses.

All images: Freepik and the brands

This piece originally appeared in the May-June print edition of Cosmopolitan India.

Also read: #BodyTalkWithCosmo: Why gaining (or losing) three kilos a month is totally normal

Also read: Tech that blends smarts with effortless cool? Yes, please

CONFERENCE REPORTER

“This is the culmination of my life’s work,” said John Luo, MD, at the 2025 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting. “We talk about technology in the practice of psychiatry, just like we would psychopharmacology or psychotherapy.”

Luo, the APA Scientific Program Technology & Psychiatric Practice subcommittee chair, is thrilled to be able to elicit speakers for the annual meeting on specifically this topic. Implementing psychiatry in the practice of psychiatry can be exciting, but Luo believes psychiatrists and mental health clinicians should first understand said technology in order to properly utilize it.

Luo believes we should be particularly wary of AI. “Yes, AI can do these things, but it really has no understanding of what [psychiatric disorders] are and that is a hazard… People get advice that can be really inappropriate, and that can be really damaging.”

Dr Luo is the director of Emergency & Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at the University of California Irvine Medical Center. He is on faculty as a health sciences clinical professor of Psychiatry at the University of California Irvine School of Medicine. He is an internationally recognized educator and expert on behavioral health informatics. He has presented at numerous conferences, written books and articles on technology use in mental health, and he has been recognized locally and nationally for excellence in teaching.

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