Simulated selves: Creativity, authenticity semiotic agency in AI companionship
Russian Journal of Linguistics July 2, 2026 Douglas Ponton, Peter Mantello
Authenticity in interactions with AI companions is not an inherent quality of the machine but emerges through the language users employ. Analyzing diaries from Japanese students and Reddit posts from Replika users, the study finds that students maintain analytical distance, limiting authenticity to fleeting moments, while Reddit users often endow the AI with emotional depth and creativity, especially during vulnerable moments. Across both groups, personhood is enacted linguistically by depicting the AI as a thinker, speaker, or actor. Synthetic personhood is an ongoing discursive accomplishment, raising questions about authenticity, attachment, and cultural influences on human-AI relationships.