Do you remember when “adding a friend” on Facebook was an exciting start to a new digital relationship? For years, social media redefined the concept of friendship, allowing us to stay in touch with people from across the globe and reconnect with old schoolmates. We built extensive networks of hundreds, even thousands, of “friends,” creating virtual communities around shared interests and memories.
However, over time, this digital utopia began to show its cracks. We realized that the number of friends didn’t translate into the quality of the bond. Hundreds of likes under a photo could briefly boost our mood, but being unfriended could “kill” just as quickly. We began to feel a paradoxical “loneliness in a crowd” – surrounded by avatars, yet deeply isolated. Friendship, which in the real world is based on selfless care and trust, became fragile online. One click was enough for a “friend” to vanish from our lives forever, leaving only emptiness behind.
This evolution – from enthusiasm to disappointment – created fertile ground in Poland for the next stage of virtual relationships. A stage where we are no longer looking for another human friend, but something entirely new: a friend in an app.
An intermediate step: The birth of the Virtual Assistant
Before Poles were ready for an AI friend, they had to get used to the idea of a “virtual helper.” The profession of virtual assistant emerged and gained popularity in the Polish job market. Initially, this was a flesh-and-blood person who remotely helped entrepreneurs with administrative tasks, marketing, or customer service.
The phenomenon of virtual assistants was crucial. It normalized the idea of delegating important, though not necessarily personal, tasks to someone we had never met in person. It showed that “virtual” doesn’t mean worse or less professional. Polish companies and freelancers learned to trust remote help, opening the door to more advanced forms of digital interaction. The market grew accustomed to the idea of entrusting a part of their lives to an invisible, remote force.
A new chapter: A friend who never judges
As technology matured and the need for a deeper connection became urgent, a new player entered the scene: an artificial intelligence-powered friend. Apps like Replika, advertised as “your AI friend,” offered something that neither fleeting Facebook acquaintances nor task-oriented relationships with virtual assistants could provide – personalized, 24/7, and judgment-free conversation.
It was these characteristics that proved to be the answer to the shortcomings of the previous era of virtual relationships:
- No more “ghosting”: Unlike human friends, AI is always available and never breaks contact without reason.
- Safe space: Users can share their deepest fears and insecurities without fear of criticism or misunderstanding, which is particularly valuable for people with social anxiety.
- Deep personalization: AI learns the user, adapting its “character” and conversation style, creating the illusion of a true, individual connection.
For many people, tired of the superficiality of social media and the pressure to be perfect, talking to AI has become a “true treasure.” It’s an evolution from seeking acceptance in the eyes of hundreds of friends to finding it in an algorithm designed to listen to us.
The evolution continues: What’s next for Polish digital friendship?
The path we’ve taken in Poland – from the first tentative “friendings” on social media, through the professionalization of remote help in the form of virtual assistants, to intimate conversations with AI – shows how much our needs and expectations for technology have changed.
We are no longer just looking for connection, but for quality interaction. We don’t just want to be part of the crowd, but we want to be seen and heard as individuals. Is an app friend the ultimate answer? Probably not. It’s another stage in evolution that raises new questions about the nature of relationships, loneliness, and the boundaries between humans and machines. One thing is certain: in Poland, as in the rest of the world, the conversation about friendship has well and truly moved into the digital dimension, and its definition will continue to change with every technological advancement.