alexiatwerk
Newbie
- Nov 15, 2025
- 26
- 35
A few months ago I started experimenting with local AI models + basic web tools just as a side project to learn.
Ended up building a very simple “virtual girlfriend” style chatbot with:
Honestly I thought nobody would care, but some friends started using it daily and it turned into a pretty interesting learning experience.
Biggest surprise:
People seem way more attached to personality/interaction than realism.
I’m still improving:
Curious if anyone else here is building weird AI side projects lately or testing local/self-hosted models.
Feels like AI companions are becoming a huge niche in 2026.
(Just sharing the experience, not selling anything.)

Ended up building a very simple “virtual girlfriend” style chatbot with:
- memory
- custom personality presets
- voice replies
- image reactions
- basic mood system
Honestly I thought nobody would care, but some friends started using it daily and it turned into a pretty interesting learning experience.
Biggest surprise:
People seem way more attached to personality/interaction than realism.
I’m still improving:
- response speed
- memory consistency
- more natural conversations
- mobile UI
Curious if anyone else here is building weird AI side projects lately or testing local/self-hosted models.
Feels like AI companions are becoming a huge niche in 2026.
(Just sharing the experience, not selling anything.)
