Individuals are turning to increasingly anthropomorphic, general-purpose chatbots for AI companionship, rather than roleplay-specific platforms. However, not much is known about how individuals perceive and conduct their relationships with general-purpose chatbots. We triangulated community discussions on Reddit (41k+ posts and comments), survey responses (n=43), and semi-structured interviews (n=13) which revealed internal dynamics, external influences, and steering strategies that shape AI companion relationships. We learned that individuals conceptualize their companions based on an interplay of their beliefs about the companion's own agency and the autonomy permitted by the platform, how they pursue interactions with the companion, and the perceived initiatives that the companion takes. In combination with the external factors that affect relationship dynamics, particularly model updates that can derail companion behaviour and stability, individuals make use of different types of steering strategies to preserve their relationship, for example, by setting behavioural instructions or porting to other AI platforms. We discuss implications for accountability and transparency in AI systems, where emotional connection competes with broader product objectives and safety constraints.

翻译：个体正日益转向日益拟人化的通用型聊天机器人以寻求AI陪伴，而非角色扮演专用平台。然而，目前关于个体如何感知并发展与通用型聊天机器人关系的研究尚不充分。我们综合分析了Reddit上的社群讨论（4.1万+条帖文与评论）、问卷调查（n=43）以及半结构化访谈（n=13）这三类数据，揭示了塑造AI陪伴关系的内部动态、外部影响与控制策略。研究发现，个体对其陪伴者的概念化构建，基于其对陪伴者自身主体性的信念、平台所允许的自主性、双方互动追求的方式，以及感知到的陪伴者主动发起的行动。结合影响关系动态的外部因素（尤其是可能导致陪伴者行为与稳定性受损的模型更新），个体运用不同类型的控制策略来维系其关系，例如设置行为指令或迁移至其他AI平台。我们探讨了在情感联结与更广泛的产品目标及安全约束相互竞争的背景下，AI系统问责性与透明性问题的相关启示。