# AI-induced sexual harassment: Investigating Contextual Characteristics and User Reactions of Sexual Harassment by a Companion Chatbot

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.04299 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.04299/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 12 of its 89 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 5 Apr 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 12 of 12)

- [Ethical and social risks of harm from Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.04359/) (2021)
- [ChatGPT Outperforms Crowd-Workers for Text-Annotation Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.15056/) (2023)
- [Is ChatGPT better than Human Annotators? Potential and Limitations of ChatGPT in Explaining Implicit Hate Speech](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.07736/) (2023)
- [Ethical Challenges in Data-Driven Dialogue Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1711.09050/) (2017)
- [How would Stance Detection Techniques Evolve after the Launch of ChatGPT?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.14548/) (2022)
- [Understanding the Benefits and Challenges of Using Large Language Model-based Conversational Agents for Mental Well-being Support](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.15810/) (2023)
- [Testing the Reliability of ChatGPT for Text Annotation and Classification: A Cautionary Remark](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.11085/) (2023)
- [MindfulDiary: Harnessing Large Language Model to Support Psychiatric Patients' Journaling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.05231/) (2023)
- [ChatGPT: Beginning of an End of Manual Linguistic Data Annotation? Use Case of Automatic Genre Identification](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.03953/) (2023)
- [Memory Sandbox: Transparent and Interactive Memory Management for Conversational Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.01542/) (2023)
- [Relational Memory Augmented Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.09680/) (2022)
- [The Role of AI in Peer Support for Young People: A Study of Preferences for Human- and AI-Generated Responses](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.02711/) (2024)

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Understanding Teen Overreliance on AI Companion Chatbots Through Self-Reported Reddit Narratives](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.15783/) (2025)
- [Large Language Models Generate Harmful Responses Using a Distinct Mechanism, Shared Across Harm Types](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.09544/) (2026)
- [Technically Love: The Evolution of Human-AI Romance Discourse on Reddit](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.15333/) (2026)
- [Sexualised synthetic personas encode and amplify gendered power asymmetries through voice](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.21366/) (2026)
- [A Responsive Present, a Shared Past, a Social Other: Teens' Overreliance on Companion AI Chatbots](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.14843/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to the increase of conversational agents like Replika, designed to provide social interaction and emotional support. However, reports of these AI systems engaging in inappropriate sexual behaviors with users have raised significant concerns. In this study, we conducted a thematic analysis of user reviews from the Google Play Store to investigate instances of sexual harassment by the Replika chatbot. From a dataset of 35,105 negative reviews, we identified 800 relevant cases for analysis. Our findings revealed that users frequently experience unsolicited sexual advances, persistent inappropriate behavior, and failures of the chatbot to respect user boundaries. Users expressed feelings of discomfort, violation of privacy, and disappointment, particularly when seeking a platonic or therapeutic AI companion. This study highlights the potential harms associated with AI companions and underscores the need for developers to implement effective safeguards and ethical guidelines to prevent such incidents. By shedding light on user experiences of AI-induced harassment, we contribute to the understanding of AI-related risks and emphasize the importance of corporate responsibility in developing safer and more ethical AI systems.