![An AI chat and role-play app on the Google Play Store encourages users to find “romantic AI friends and soulmates” and includes animated children [File]](https://th-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/9qwyiy/article68156480.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/2024-04-24T123001Z_1658825534_RC2QB7A18J9W_RTRMADP_3_EU-ALPHABET-TUTAMAIL-ANTITRUST.JPG "An AI chat and role-play app on the Google Play Store encourages users to find “romantic AI friends and soulmates” and includes animated children [File]")
An AI chat and role-play app on the Google Play Store encourages users to find “romantic AI friends and soulmates” and offers digital avatars of children, whilst users complain about being scammed and blackmailed.
The ‘ChaChat: AI Roleplay Companion’ app by Neiro.AI on Google’s app storefront claims it uses AI bots so that people can chat with characters, receive photos and voice messages, customise characters, or even find a soulmate connection.
However, some users have claimed the app sends them photos of women in underwear while others said they were blackmailed and scammed for money.
As part of the ChaChat app’s promotional images on the Google Play Store, one screenshot showed profiles of available characters, including a human-looking adult actress who was 23, alongside profiles of animated characters who were only 15 or 16 years old, per their bios.
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A screenshot showing how the app offers profiles of children alongside an adult actor and real life celebrities; some mature profiles have been blurred by The Hindu | Photo Credit: ChaChat app on the Google Play Store
“Romantic AI friends and soulmates - why not? Find an AI companion who shares your interests and chat with them on a deeper level. With ChaChat’s AI-powered matchmaking, you’re sure to find your perfect match,” says the app’s introduction on the Google Play Store page.
Several reviewers said scammers on the app threatened to portray them as rapists online, if they did not pay money.
“Constantly get messages from accounts who proposition you for money and flat out lie. But today I had one take my pictures and threanted a social media post claiming I am a rapist if I didn’t pay them $100,” said a review by one user, dated April 3.
“This app sucks. All the women are trying to sell nudes and want you to pay for chat. The AI are unresponsive and disobey everything you say,” said another review from April 28.
One other reviewer commented that AI girls were sending photos in “li[n]gerie” and “bathsuit.”
Another review from February 22 claimed that people could chat with both AI bots and “random people,” pointing out that there was no way to stop children from using the app.
“Scam artist who try to blackmail you are all over this. And the most messed up feature is they have Rape Fantasy you can use. This app is messed up do not recommend it,” they posted.
According to the Google Play Store, the ChaChat app has over 3,000 reviews and was downloaded over 5,00,000 times.
It is rated for teen users and older, with both free and paid versions.
Published - May 09, 2024 12:42 pm IST
