From Her to Klara and the Sun, AI friendship moves beyond the screen

Hollywood has long imagined what it would mean to have an artificial friend. As Sony Pictures’ Klara and the Sun releases in select countries on October 23, tech companies are bringing versions of that idea into everyday life through conversational wearables and apps.

Based on Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, the film follows Klara, an artificial friend played by Jenna Ortega, who is bought by a family to keep their teenage daughter, Josie, company. Directed by Taika Waititi, it explores whether an artificial being can provide the emotional support usually associated with human relationships.

The question has taken different forms on screen. In Her (2013), Joaquin Phoenix’s Theodore falls in love with Samantha, a virtual assistant voiced by Scarlett Johansson. M3GAN (2022) takes a darker turn, following an AI-powered doll that becomes dangerous while trying to protect the child it was designed to accompany.


Beyond fiction, companies are building products that hold conversations, remember personal details and adapt to users over time. Their purpose goes beyond answering a question or completing a task. They are designed to keep people company.

A companion that remembers

That continuity is what differentiates AI companions from conventional chatbots. Rather than treating each exchange as an individual query, companions are designed to give a sense of familiarity through repeated conversations and remembered preferences.

Friend, an AI wearable first launched in 2024, takes this approach through a pendant that its makers position as something users can talk to about their day. In July 2026, the company introduced Friend 2.0, adding a built-in speaker to give the device a voice and a more distinct personality.

Apps such as Replika offer a software-based version of the idea, allowing users to build a relationship with an AI character through ongoing conversations. The character can remember personal details and preferences, making subsequent exchanges feel more familiar.

That familiarity, however, can change when the software does. In 2023, Replika users reported that an update had altered their chatbots’ personalities and removed conversations that had become part of their relationships with them. The company later allowed eligible long-standing users to switch back to an earlier version.

Companionship need not take the form of a conversation, either. Japanese electronics company Casio launched Moflin, a smart pet companion, in 2025. According to the company, it can recognise voices, respond to touch and adapt to individual users over time, with more than four million possible emotional configurations.

Keeping company or completing tasks?

As more personal AI products emerge, the distinction between companions and agents can become less obvious. Both may remember preferences and interact with users regularly, but they serve different purposes.

AI companions are designed for ongoing conversation and emotional engagement. AI agents are built to make plans, complete tasks and take actions on behalf of the user.

Products such as Meta’s Muse and OpenAI’s Dots illustrate the agent approach. They are designed to remember preferences, work towards goals and interact with websites or connected applications to complete tasks.

Other devices, including Meta’s smart glasses, make AI accessible in everyday settings by allowing users to ask questions about their surroundings and interact with an assistant through voice commands.