All posts tagged: companions

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s 7 loyal companions keeping him company at exile home

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been ostracised following his links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and his arrest for suspicion of misconduct in public office on 19 February. After being evicted from his former Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, King Charles’ brother has been coming to terms with life in exile on the Sandringham estate. He has temporarily hunkered down at Wood Farm while his permanent residence, Marsh Farm, receives the finishing touches, including increased security of new gates and CCTV. However, he is not entirely alone during his relocation. The former prince, who was stripped of his royal titles and honours in November 2025, shares his home with seven dogs, including his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s beloved corgis, Muick and Sandy. Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, took on the dogs following Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022, but the late monarch’s son took custody of the furry friends when they vacated Royal Lodge. WATCH: Why Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may actually move into Marsh Farm ahead of scheduled Easter date Back in October 2025, the Palace shared a vague statement with The …

Dogs have been our companions for 15,800 years, study finds

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Scientists have found more evidence that our furry friends have been our companions for thousands of years. Researchers believe dogs descended from an ancient population of gray wolves somewhere in Europe or Asia. Tens of thousands of years ago, those wolves got used to living with people and became less aggressive. As they became domesticated, their genes shifted along with their behavior, giving rise to the pups we know today. But exactly when and where this happened remains a mystery. Scientists are studying bits of DNA found in ancient dog and wolf remains to figure out what the earliest dogs may have looked like and where they came from. One author of the study said, ‘They are humanity’s best friend, alongside our societies for the last 16,000 years and will continue to in the future’ (AP) In two separate studies published …

Oldest known dog extends the genetic history of our canine companions

Published by skeptic

Evidence from Pınarbaşı in Turkey shows that hunter-gatherers were looking after dogs about 15,800 years ago Kathryn Killackey Ancient remains in Turkey from 15,800 years ago have been confirmed as coming from a dog, the earliest one ever found. Genetic evidence also reveals that our best friends were already widely distributed across Europe 14,300 years ago, when humans were hunter-gatherers and agriculture hadn’t yet emerged. When dogs were domesticated is a knotty question, given the physical and genetic similarities between dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and grey wolves (Canis lupus). Previously, the oldest remains genetically identified as being from a dog date to around 10,900 years ago. However, there are dog-like bones from as far back as 33,000 years ago from animals that weren’t quite dogs yet genetically, known as incipient dogs. To get a better handle on how the history of dogs played out, Lachie Scarsbrook at the University of Oxford and his colleagues have examined the genomes obtained from several early, dog-like remains at archaeological sites around Europe. The earliest remains confirmed as being …

A Raphael Exhibition Reunites Works with Their Historical Companions

Published by José Betancourt

The Italian Renaissance artist Raphael may have been called the “prince of painters,” but his masterful drawings were his calling card, even from a young age. We know him best today for paintings such as The Marriage of the Virgin (1504), The School of Athens (1509–11), and The Sistine Madonna (1512–13), but an exhibition opening this month at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art reminds us not to overlook his sketches, tapestries, and other artworks. This landmark show, “Raphael: Sublime Poetry,” the result of nearly a decade of research, will highlight many of the master’s drawings as part of the more than 200 objects on view. To be shown only at the Met (due to the fragility and importance of several of these artworks), the exhibition will be a reunion of sorts for works made together but held apart for centuries. “The exhibition will include many cases of works which are reunited for the first time with their historical companions,” noted exhibition curator Carmen C. Bambach, a curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints …

AI Companions Pose Mental Health Risks No One Saw Coming

Published by Jenni Sidey

Individuals who have genuine connections to others are less likely to feel deep despair or isolation. Conversely, when people feel unseen, disconnected, or alone, their loneliness denies them one of our primary biological and psychological needs: a feeling that we belong. Loneliness has always been a tragic part of the human experience but today we have applications specifically designed to simulate companionship on demand. And voila, loneliness is gone forever. Perfect, right? Not so fast. In today’s world, meals, household necessities, and even luxury items can be ordered and delivered without uttering a single word. These conveniences make our daily lives easier but create another disconnect for those in dire need of human connection. Companion AI as a Cure for Loneliness Companion AI bots like those created in Character.ai, Replika, and similar applications attempt to fill a void by simulating relationships. AI companion bots are built to converse, remember past interactions, and respond in ways that seem emotionally attentive. On some platforms the user can transform their bot into their ideal, physically attractive companion. AI …

I’m Enamored With Lenovo’s Desktop AI Companions, and I Could Use Their Help

Published by skeptic

How well do you concentrate at work? For me, it very much depends on how I’m feeling that day, what else I have on my mind and a miscellany of other factors. One technique I use fairly successfully to keep me focused is a pomodoro timer, and at Mobile World Congress 2026 I found what I believe could be the perfect AI pomodoro companion. I first saw Lenovo’s Magic Bay Tiko at last year’s MWC, but at the time it was just a concept. The little circular module perches on the top of your Lenovo laptop display, attached via the magnetic Magic Bay on the rear. The module is home to an adorable animated companion called Tiko, who you can interact with via text or voice. Accessories with AI agents are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in the wearables space, with many companies starting to offer pins and pendants. They can take on a variety of tasks, such as life logging and transcription. They can also carry out tasks for you, such as adding things to …

Everything You Need to Know About AI Companions in 2026

Published by Jenni Sidey

Source: Tara Winstead / Pexels 2025 was the year of the AI companion. Techcrunch estimated that 337 revenue-generating AI companion companies exist globally, outside of the big companies like OpenAI and X. AI companion companies have seen an estimated 220 million downloads, and the market is expected to be valued at over $500 billion by 2030. On the ground, policymakers, educators, journalists, comedians, lawyers, and parents are all scrambling to figure out the implications and appropriate use cases of AI companions, while more and more people deepen their bonds with digital lovers. One lawmaker has already introduced a bill to prohibit human-AI marriages, hoping to keep key relational factors like inheritance and decision-making authority in the human realm for now. As a scholar in this field, I have compiled a summary of what we know so far about AI companions and human intimacy, drawing on published research and my own qualitative interviews with super users across various platforms. What we know now barely scratches the surface. Multipurpose and multidimensional relationships: People are using AI agents …

CES 2026: Do AI companions need jobs? Ludens AI’s Cocomo and INU don’t think so.

Published by skeptic

Every brand at CES wants to put some form of AI in your home, and at this point, it feels almost inevitable. The real question isn’t if you’ll get AI — it’s whether you want it minimal, wearable, living in your fridge, or packaged as a companion that’s just really, really cute. SEE ALSO: CES 2026: Solver adds configurable haptic buttons to your smartphone I’d personally choose the last option, and more specifically, I’d choose Ludens AI’s concept companions Cocomo and INU. At CES 2026, the Japanese startup is leaning hard into the idea that AI companions can exist for presence rather than productivity. Cocomo and INU aren’t trying to clean your house, manage your calendar, or replace your phone. Instead, they’re designed to live alongside you. Engadget’s Karissa Bell was able to get a glimpse of it on the show floor at CES Unveiled. Mashable Light Speed This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Cocomo is the more ambitious of the two AI companions. Ludens AI describes it …

The State of AI: Chatbot companions and the future of our privacy

Published by skeptic

Eileen Guo writes: Even if you don’t have an AI friend yourself, you probably know someone who does. A recent study found that one of the top uses of generative AI is companionship: On platforms like Character.AI, Replika, or Meta AI, people can create personalized chatbots to pose as the ideal friend, romantic partner, parent, therapist, or any other persona they can dream up. It’s wild how easily people say these relationships can develop. And multiple studies have found that the more conversational and human-like an AI chatbot is, the more likely it is that we’ll trust it and be influenced by it. This can be dangerous, and the chatbots have been accused of pushing some people toward harmful behaviors—including, in a few extreme examples, suicide. Some state governments are taking notice and starting to regulate companion AI. New York requires AI companion companies to create safeguards and report expressions of suicidal ideation, and last month California passed a more detailed bill requiring AI companion companies to protect children and other vulnerable groups. But tellingly, …

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All posts tagged: companions

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s 7 loyal companions keeping him company at exile home

Dogs have been our companions for 15,800 years, study finds

Oldest known dog extends the genetic history of our canine companions

A Raphael Exhibition Reunites Works with Their Historical Companions

AI Companions Pose Mental Health Risks No One Saw Coming

I’m Enamored With Lenovo’s Desktop AI Companions, and I Could Use Their Help

Everything You Need to Know About AI Companions in 2026

CES 2026: Do AI companions need jobs? Ludens AI’s Cocomo and INU don’t think so.

The State of AI: Chatbot companions and the future of our privacy