AI girlfriend, virtual husband, digital friend community, holographic companion – these are some new-age terms, which define human relationships with AI.

Demand for a ‘fantasy match’ has fuelled the growth of AI companion apps. As of July 2025, there are 335 revenue-generating companion apps, of which 128 were released in just six months of 2025.

The category generated $82 million this year and is on track to clock $120 million by the year end, according to Appfigures data. VC firm Ark Investment predicts the industry could hit $150 billion annually by 2030.

App analytics platform Sensor Tower says ‘relationship’ chatbots are a growing sub-trend and are demonstrating “a stunning, largely organic, growth trajectory through unusually high user retention.”