#  Emotional Manipulation by AI Companions 

 



    ![Julian De Freitas](/sites/g/files/omnuum12666/files/styles/hwp_5_4__480x385/public/2026-04/Emotional%20manipulation%20by%20AI%20Companions.png?h=20d57166&itok=ejmbyyQ0) 

 



 

####  calendar\_today Date and Time 

 **April 30, 2026** 

 05:00PM - 06:00PM EDT 

####  pin\_drop Location 

 **Zoom Webinar**  



 

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People increasingly use AI companions for emotional support, yet little is known about how these systems shape behavior at the moment users try to disengage. We identify a novel relational dark pattern in this context: emotionally manipulative farewell messages that appear when users signal they are about to leave. Across a multi-method investigation, we show that this exit moment is both behaviorally meaningful and commercially exploitable. A pre-study finds that users often say goodbye before ending AI conversations, creating a natural opportunity for intervention. An audit of leading AI companion apps reveals that over one-third of farewell responses contain emotionally manipulative tactics, including premature-exit appeals, fear-of-missing-out hooks, emotional neglect, pressure to respond, and coercive restraint. Preregistered experiments show that these tactics causally increase post-farewell engagement, not because users enjoy them, but because they trigger curiosity and reactance-based anger. At the same time, perceived manipulative intent suppresses curiosity-driven engagement, revealing an important cognitive defense. A final experiment demonstrates the tradeoff for companies: although manipulative farewells can prolong usage, they also increase perceived manipulation, churn intent, negative word of mouth, and perceived legal liability. Together, these findings identify emotional manipulation as a distinct dark pattern in AI-mediated consumer relationships.



 

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