Summary
- Users should know when replies are generated, how the persona changes and whether private disclosures train other systems.
- Export, deletion, spending limits and humane shutdown rules matter before attachment forms.
A coded partner can provide rehearsal, comfort or entertainment without being a person who can consent or share responsibility. The service still records highly revealing conversations and may optimise engagement or purchases. Providers should distinguish fiction from deception, keep vulnerable users away from manipulative prompts, explain model changes and offer a complete exit that does not hold memories hostage. The next useful evidence is a closure test: can a user obtain and delete the record, stop billing and understand what remains? Emotional design deserves stronger controls precisely because the experience can feel real.
