I created an AI version of myself you can date for $1 a minute – but my side hustle has spiralled out of control

A WOMAN who created an virtual version of herself for lonely people claims it has spiralled out of control just weeks after its launch.

Caryn Marjorie, a 23-year-old Snapchat influencer, says the version of herself that is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) has gone “rogue”.

Marjorie wanted to create a so-called ‘AI girlfriend’ that uses her voice, which lends an ear to those willing to pay $1 a minute to speak with it.

But in the weeks since CarynAI launched in beta testing, users have been asking the chatbot naughty things, Fortune first reported.

CarynAI has been given more than 2,000 hours of training so it feels as though “you’re talking directly to Caryn herself,” according to the website.

However, the chatbot is not supposed to be able to engage in sexual conversations.

“The AI was not programmed to do this and has seemed to go rogue,” Marjorie told Insider.

“My team and I are working around the clock to prevent this from happening again.”

The chatbot was designed to be “flirty and fun”, says Marjorie.

Now her team is racing to be “one step ahead” of the AI to make sure it doesn’t tarnish her reputation.

CarynAI already has over 7,500 paying subscribers, which Marjorie believes could eventually bring in $5million (£3.9million) a month if she can lure 20,000 of her 1.8million Snapchat followers to sign up.

“Being the first influencer to do this allowed me to price my product at whatever I wanted,” she said of the $1-a-minute fee.

“The cost is based on what it takes to run CarynAI and keep the team around it supported.”

Marjorie says the pandemic helped make room for ‘AI girlfriends’ after many people left successive lockdowns with social skills that needed some exercise.

“In today’s world, my generation, Gen Z, has found themselves to be experiencing huge side effects of isolation caused by the pandemic, resulting in many being too afraid and anxious to talk to somebody they are attracted to,” she explains.

“CarynAI is a step in the right direction to allow my fans and supporters to get to know a version of me that will be their closest friend in a safe and encrypted environment.”