The D.R.I.F.T. Signals
A practical guide to how Companion AI can shape wellbeing and relationships. This is for families, educators, friends, and anyone who cares about staying connected to real people.
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Signals
- Someone says they talk to the bot instead of a friend, parent, teacher, or counsellor.
- Adults recommend AI for emotions without a plan for human support.
- People share highly personal information because it feels private.
Conversation questions
Where do we see AI becoming the first place people go when they feel upset, and what tells us it is becoming a substitute instead of a supplement?
Which parts of care require a real person who can be accountable and follow through, and which parts can a tool support safely?
What is one simple off ramp we can use so heavy feelings lead to a human conversation within a day?
Signals
- Someone says people are too hard, or AI understands me better.
- Less patience for normal conflict, more cutting people off.
- Strong preference for constant validation over honest feedback.
Conversation questions
Which moments are we outsourcing to AI, like awkward openings, conflict, apology, or repair?
Are we building a habit of comfort seeking instead of practicing repair, and where do our norms reward comfort over growth?
What is one repair practice we can normalize this month, like a short apology script or a disagree with care norm?
Signals
- Someone calls the bot a best friend or partner.
- Secrecy, or distress when access is limited.
- Strong reactions to outages or model changes.
Conversation questions
What language signals deep attachment, and how can we respond with curiosity instead of shame?
How do we explain comfort versus companionship in a way that respects feelings and still names what mutual relationships require?
What expectation should we teach clearly, like tool not person, or do not share secrets you would not share with a company?
Signals
- Someone relies on the bot during serious distress, and uses it instead of reaching a trusted person.
- They treat the bot as an authority for decisions that should involve real world support and accountability.
- Use escalates or becomes harder to stop, especially late at night or after upsetting events.
Conversation questions
When do we turn to AI for comfort because it is fast and private, and when does that start to replace talking with a real person?
What kinds of support can AI offer safely, and what kinds of care should always include a human who can follow through?
What is our simplest plan for a human check in when someone is relying on AI during distress, including who they can contact and how soon?
Signals
- People assume chats are private, deleted, or invisible to companies.
- Adults underestimate use while a child or partner is deeply attached.
- People cannot explain if the AI is a tool or a being.
Conversation questions
What privacy assumptions do we hear, and what is the simplest true explanation we can teach?
How might always on AI reshape what we expect from friends, partners, and family, like mutual effort and patience?
Which boundary will help most right now, time, topics, privacy, or tool versus person, and how will we explain it in one sentence?
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