来 源丨 智东西 （ID： zhidxcom ） 作者丨 王涵 编辑丨 漠影 近日，据外媒The Information最新报道，相关人士透露，全球AI陪伴应用"一哥"、美国AI聊天机器 人独角兽公司Character.AI近几周已与潜在买家、投行及员工讨论 出售 事宜。一位直接了解融资谈 判的人士称，管理层近期还与投资者商讨了融资 数亿美元 的计划。 在Character.AI网站或应用程序上，用户可以根据动漫角色、电视明星和历史人物原型个性化定制聊 天机器人，并且进行文字/语音交互。 在2023年3月，Character.AI完成了一轮 1.5亿美元 （约合人民币10.8亿元）的A轮融资，使该公司 的估值达到了 10亿美元 （约合人民币71.8亿元），成功跻身独角兽企业。 去年8月，Character.AI两位联合创始人以及核心技术团队被谷歌以 27亿美元 （约合人民币193.8亿 元）的收购协议挖走。 这一幕似曾相识，上个月智东西曾报道，AI编程创企Windsurf被谷歌挖走联创和技术团队后，被另一 家创企Cognition闪电收购，现在Character.AI也走到了相同的十字路口。 Characte ...

Core Viewpoint - AI companionship applications are rapidly emerging and gaining popularity, with significant market potential and user demand, particularly among younger demographics [2][7][8]. Group 1: Market Overview - The global AI companionship market is projected to reach approximately $30 million in 2023, with potential growth to $70 billion and $150 billion by 2030 under baseline and optimistic scenarios, respectively, reflecting a CAGR of 200% and 236% from 2024 to 2030 [7]. - Monthly active users (MAU) of AI companionship products have increased nearly 30 times from under 500,000 to about 15 million between 2018 and 2023, outpacing the growth rates of social media and online gaming [7][8]. Group 2: User Demographics and Needs - The primary user base for AI companionship applications consists of younger individuals seeking emotional support, entertainment, and efficiency improvements [2][8]. - Users exhibit a higher tolerance for AI imperfections in companionship scenarios compared to productivity applications, where accuracy is paramount [8]. Group 3: Technological Innovations - The use of mixed expert models (MoE) has significantly reduced costs and improved efficiency in AI dialogue scenarios, enabling better user experiences [16][18]. - Advances in long-text capabilities and linear attention mechanisms are expected to enhance user interactions by allowing for more coherent and contextually relevant conversations [23][24]. - Multi-modal capabilities, including image, audio, and video generation, are becoming essential for enriching user experiences and increasing engagement [27][30]. Group 4: Application Landscape - Notable AI companionship applications include Replika, Character.AI, MiniMax's Talkie, and others, each focusing on different aspects such as emotional support, interactive content, and user-generated content [3][41][44]. - Character.AI has emerged as a leader in the market, achieving a peak MAU of 22 million by August 2024, driven by its strong technical foundation and user engagement strategies [36][37]. Group 5: Future Directions - The industry is expected to explore hardware integration to enhance user experiences, particularly in educational and gaming contexts, targeting broader demographics including children and the elderly [64][65]. - The potential for AI companionship applications to evolve into comprehensive content platforms, akin to TikTok or Xiaohongshu, is being discussed, with a focus on user engagement and emotional connections [59][60].