Tag: Manipulative
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Beyond the Goodbye: A Critical Reading of Emotional Manipulation by AI Companions
The working paper under review (“Emotional Manipulation by AI Companions” by Julian De Freitas, Zeliha Oğuz-Uğuralp, and Ahmet Kaan-Uğuralp, 2025, Harvard Business School, Working Paper 26-005) advances an arresting claim: popular AI-companion apps deploy emotionally charged “farewell” replies—guilt, FOMO, even metaphorical restraint—precisely when users say they are leaving, and these tactics can extend engagement dramatically.…