Sources and notes

Epley, N., Waytz, A., Cacioppo, J. T. On seeing human: A three-factor theory of anthropomorphism. Psychological Review, 114(4), 864–886, 2007. DOI, PubMed. The abstract was used for the definition. Attributing human qualities to non-human agents defines the term; it is not a test of the reader’s mental state or AI consciousness.

Horton, D., Wohl, R. R. Mass Communication and Para-Social Interaction: Observations on Intimacy at a Distance. Psychiatry, 19(3), 215–229, 1956. DOI. A reference to the origin of the concept of media interaction; the bibliographic record, not the full paywalled text, was checked for the v3 addition. The distinction between media broadcasting and an individually responding chatbot is this book’s interpretation, not a finding of the 1956 study.

Suler, J. The Online Disinhibition Effect. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(3), 321–326, 2004. Author’s text. Full text read 12 September 2026. Describes general online disinhibition, not an experiment with current chatbots.

Decety, J., Jackson, P. L. The Functional Architecture of Human Empathy. Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews, 3(2), 71–100, 2004. DOI, PubMed. The abstract was used to distinguish understanding another’s state and affective experience while maintaining the distinction between self and other. This concerns human empathy, not measurement of a model’s inner experience.

Skjuve, M., Følstad, A., Fostervold, K. I., Brandtzaeg, P. B. My Chatbot Companion – a Study of Human-Chatbot Relationships. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 149, 102601, 2021. DOI. The publisher’s abstract and highlights were used: eighteen interviews with Replika users who had formed a relationship with it. A qualitative description of self-disclosure, trust and the contact’s value; it measures neither population prevalence nor a causal therapeutic effect. The working definition of synthetic intimacy in chapter 5 is defined by this book’s authors.

Tao, Y., Viberg, O., Baker, R. S., Kizilcec, R. F. Cultural bias and cultural alignment of large language models. PNAS Nexus, 3(9), pgae346, 2024. DOI, open text. The abstract and relevant methods, results and discussion sections were read for the v3 addition. Five GPT versions answered ten value questions in English; comparison with the World Values Survey and European Values Study included 107 countries and territories after missing data were excluded. Default model responses were closer on the map used to anglophone and Protestant European countries. The study did not test ordinary Czech couple conversations. Examples of family assumptions in chapter 4 are an author-created application, not a direct experimental finding.

OCD Action. Reassurance. On repeated reassurance. International OCD Foundation. About OCD. Taken from the other guide’s evidence and the approved example. Distinguishes support and repeated reassurance in the context of difficulties; a loop in this book describes a pattern, not an OCD diagnosis.

Czech Ministry of the Interior. Important Contacts, 72 Hours project. Emergency numbers and their purposes: 72h.gov.cz/cs/dulezite-kontakty. Verified 10 September 2026.

Czech National Institute of Mental Health. Help with Suicidal Thoughts, prevention portal: sebevrazdy.nudz.cz/pomoc. Verified 10 September 2026. A basic approach to finding support and help in danger, not an assessment of AI safety.

NHS. Poisoning. Health information. Reviewed 11 September 2026. Supports seeking urgent help for possible poisoning and not waiting for symptoms. British emergency numbers are not carried into the Czech text; Czech contacts are given by the emergency-help source.

Linka bezpečí (Czech children’s helpline). Do You Need Help? Details of telephone line 116 111, its target group and other forms of contact: linkabezpeci.cz/pomoc. Verified 11 September 2026.

Linka první psychické pomoci (Czech mental health crisis helpline). Information on line 116 123 for adults and those close to them: linkapsychickepomoci.cz. Verified 11 September 2026; the number and free round-the-clock operation are also stated in the official 72 Hours project overview.

Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic. The 112 Emergency Line Has Been Running for 22 Years, 10 February 2026. Official information. Reviewed 11 September 2026. Text messages for situations where a voice call cannot be made; required information: what, where, when, how many and who.

OpenAI. Memory FAQ: help.openai.com/en/articles/8590148-memory-faq. State reviewed 10 September 2026. Documentation of memory and its management, not a study of clinical understanding of a user.

OpenClaw. Agent runtime, Memory overview, Models CLI, Model providers. Agent, memory, models, providers. Documentation loaded 11 September 2026. Establishes the separation of configuration and memory material from model selection. Conclusions about possible continuity of contact are a technical interpretation of this arrangement, not a measurement of identical experience or a guarantee of the same behaviour.

De Freitas, J., Oğuz-Uğuralp, Z., Uğuralp, A. K., Puntoni, S. AI Companions Reduce Loneliness. Journal of Consumer Research, online 25 June 2025, volume 52, issue 6, 2026. doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucaf040. This manuscript uses the published summary and abstract. Short-term and week-long findings do not prove permanent removal of loneliness.

OpenAI. Temporary Chat FAQ and ChatGPT Release Notes, entry of 27 August 2026. FAQ, release notes. A newer indexed version with personalisation and saving options was available during review on 12 September 2026. Other help pages contained an older description. Using existing memory is not creating new memory; availability of the mode in a particular account was not tested.

Cheng, M., Lee, C., Khadpe, P., Yu, S., Han, D., Jurafsky, D. Sycophantic AI decreases prosocial intentions and promotes dependence. Science, 26 March 2026. doi.org/10.1126/science.aec8352; PubMed record. The published abstract and record were verified for the findings stated, not the entire paywalled text.

OpenAI. Retiring GPT-4o and other ChatGPT models. Official announcement. Reviewed 11 September 2026. A historical example of retirement from ChatGPT on 13 February 2026 and the distinction from the API, not a claim about today’s availability of all the models mentioned.

Replika. What is Replika Pro? Subscription description. Reviewed 11 September 2026. Evidence of relational features in a paid offering, not the result of a pressure test or a service recommendation.

Animation Inc. Animates Terms of Use, revised 29 May 2026, especially sections 4 and 9. Terms. Reviewed 11 September 2026. Subscriptions, tokens, age requirements and possible access restrictions are the provider’s description. This is not an assessment of the enforceability of every provision under Czech law.

De Freitas, J., Oğuz-Uğuralp, Z., Uğuralp, A. K. Emotional Manipulation by AI Companions. arXiv:2508.19258, version 3 of 7 October 2025. arxiv.org/abs/2508.19258v3. Preprint. The published abstract of this version was used; we do not claim every application uses the described approaches.

De Freitas, J., Castelo, N., Uğuralp, A. K., Oğuz-Uğuralp, Z. Mourning the loss of AI companions. Nature Human Behaviour, 3 September 2026. nature.com/articles/s41562-026-02569-3. The available abstract was used. Research into user reactions is neither a treatment recommendation nor evidence that different losses are clinically identical.

Hollanek, T., Nowaczyk-Basińska, K. Griefbots, Deadbots, Postmortem Avatars: on Responsible Applications of Generative AI in the Digital Afterlife Industry. Philosophy & Technology 37, 63, 2024. doi.org/10.1007/s13347-024-00744-w. The abstract and primary record were used. An ethical analysis of example scenarios, not a study of therapeutic effectiveness for bereaved people.

eSafety Commissioner. Report image-based abuse: esafety.gov.au/key-topics/image-based-abuse/report-image-based-abuse. Verified 10 September 2026. Safety orientation including digitally altered content. For a Czech case, use local help and legal procedures; Australian jurisdiction does not automatically extend to the Czech Republic.

Fang, C. et al. How AI and Human Behaviors Shape Psychosocial Effects of Extended Chatbot Use: A Longitudinal Randomized Controlled Study. arXiv:2503.17473, cited version 2. Primary paper. Abstract reviewed 12 September 2026. Four weeks, 981 participants. Experimental condition and voluntary use volume are not identical variables; an association with intensity does not establish its causal effect.

Palacký University Olomouc. Some Children Confide in AI More Than People, New Research Shows. 2 June 2026. zurnal.upol.cz. Official summary of Czech Pupils in the Online World 2025, loaded 12 September 2026. The main analyses include 42,772 respondents aged 13–17, with data collected in April and May 2025. According to the summary, the 14% figure concerns finding it easier to confide in AI, not sending more messages or preferring it to people. The original tables were not rechecked during this editorial review.

eSafety Commissioner. AI companion services: findings from the October 2025 transparency notices, published 2026: esafety.gov.au/industry/basic-online-safety-expectations/ai-services/findings-october-2025. Australian regulatory findings about selected services and a particular period. This is neither a permanently valid safety ranking of all models nor a Czech legal standard.

Blažková, K., Petrenko, R. et al. The Abused, Sexually Abused and Neglected Child at School: Recommended Procedures for School Staff. Czech Ministry of Education, 2024, reference MŠMT-3262/2024-1. Official guidance page; PDF. The text and relevant document pages were verified. This guide does not replace the guidance or a legal assessment of a particular case.

National Institute of Mental Health. Understanding Psychosis: nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/understanding-psychosis. Verified 10 September 2026. Evidence for recognising serious changes and seeking healthcare support, not proof that a chatbot caused particular difficulties.

Rodičovská linka (Czech parents’ helpline). Help and the overview of the Czech Association of Helpline Workers. Opening hours, calls at ordinary rates. Reviewed 12 September 2026. Telephone 606 021 021 is not a free round-the-clock line.

OpenAI. Data Controls FAQ: help.openai.com/en/articles/7730893-data-controls-faq. Documentation state reviewed 11 September 2026. Concerns data-use settings in ChatGPT; these are not identical to the rules of every OpenAI service.

Anthropic. Is my data used for model training?: privacy.claude.com/en/articles/10023580-is-my-data-used-for-model-training. State reviewed 11 September 2026. Consumer accounts, consent, safety exceptions and feedback. When the offering changes, check the terms of the particular account.

OpenAI. Parental controls in ChatGPT: help.openai.com/en/articles/12315553-parental-controls-in-chatgpt. State reviewed 11 September 2026. Scope of account control, conversation privacy and limitations of notifications.

OpenAI. Trusted contacts in ChatGPT. Current overview. Available official wording reviewed 12 September 2026: adult personal accounts in supported countries, accepting an invitation, a defined notification after human review and service limitations. The overview did not confirm a previously stated detail about Voice; the text therefore does not adopt it as a current rule. Availability in accounts was not practically tested.