{"_canonicalization":{"envelope_id":"axm_ + sha256(envelope minus {signature, axiom_id, anchors})","envelope_signature":"ed25519(envelope minus {signature, axiom_id})","json":"sort_keys=True, separators=(',',':'), ensure_ascii=False, allow_nan=False, utf-8","leaf_hash":"sha256(0x00 || canonical_json(envelope_full))","seal_signature":"ed25519(seal minus {signature, sig_algorithm})"},"axiom_id":"axm_38448afb6abba070e2b2df4af31df507dbda7f42907363f3e68e21e3ab1d34aa","bitcoin_anchor":{"bitcoin_attestations":["bitcoin_block_949451"],"calendar_attestations":["https://finney.calendar.eternitywall.com","https://btc.calendar.catallaxy.com","https://alice.btc.calendar.opentimestamps.org","https://bob.btc.calendar.opentimestamps.org"],"ots_url":"/registry/data/substrate/anchors/77fc9c28fae777b81da5b495b3115474df6592dfac590333213d3bdf8b94a9b3.ots","stamped_at":"2026-05-15T03:00:03Z","status":"bitcoin"},"envelope":{"anchors":[{"chain":"crovia.axiom_graph","height":0,"merkle_proof":"spider_vendor_press_v1","root_at_anchor":"spider_vendor_press_v1"}],"axiom_id":"axm_38448afb6abba070e2b2df4af31df507dbda7f42907363f3e68e21e3ab1d34aa","axiom_type":"AX.OBS","body":{"axiom_subtype":"news.vendor_press.v1","category":"news","fingerprint":"1b30c75813e5c2c893a162c44c52aee0c9d70e94afd18ae7e66256e738fb1cd7","published":"Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400","receipt_hash":"1b30c75813e5c2c893a162c44c52aee0c9d70e94afd18ae7e66256e738fb1cd7","schema":"spider.news.vendor_press.v1","spider":"vendor_press","spider_record":{"axiom_subtype":"news.vendor_press.v1","category":"news","decision_hint":"POSITIVE","envelope_target":"AX.OBS","fingerprint":"1b30c75813e5c2c893a162c44c52aee0c9d70e94afd18ae7e66256e738fb1cd7","observed_at":"2026-05-12T04:43:42.564879Z","parent_run_hash":"4cc5aca0c1b8116c9ab92405e0260204f01cf7ce2e49dea9d7e123236f5dc13b","published":"Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400","runtime_version":"0.1.0","schema":"spider.news.vendor_press.v1","source_status":200,"source_url":"https://export.arxiv.org/rss/cs.AI","spider":"vendor_press","summary_excerpt":"arXiv:2605.08093v1 Announce Type: cross \nAbstract: The use of chatbots for various forms of companionship is growing rapidly, raising a myriad of questions about simulated relationships, emotional dependence, and psychological harm. While major platforms such as ChatGPT, Grok, and Character.AI are the subject of a growing body of research and legal inquiries, apps explicitly built for simulating intimate interpersonal relationships remain under-explored. In this work, we evaluate the five most popular AI companion mobile applications in the EU and UK markets for factors that encourage parasocial interaction and may manipulate users. We do this by manually annotating the user experience each offers. Specifically, we systematically record and quantify design dark patterns, anthropomorphism, stereotypes, erotica, and technical performance issues. We find that all apps contain substantial dark patterns aimed at increasing monetisation and user engagement. Erotica and gamification features ","title":"Playing Games with My Heart: An Evaluation of AI Companion Apps","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.08093","vendor":"arxiv_cs_ai"},"summary":"arXiv:2605.08093v1 Announce Type: cross \nAbstract: The use of chatbots for various forms of companionship is growing rapidly, raising a myriad of questions about simulated relationships, emotional dependence, and psychological harm. While major platforms such as ChatGPT, Grok, and Character.AI are the subject of a growing body of research and legal inquiries, apps explicitly built for simulating intimate interpersonal relationships remain under-explored. In this work, we evaluate the five most popular AI companion mobile applications in the EU and UK markets for factors that encourage parasocial interaction and may manipulate users. We do this by manually annotating the user experience each offers. Specifically, we systematically record and quantify design dark patterns, anthropomorphism, stereotypes, erotica, and technical performance issues. We find that all apps contain substantial dark patterns aimed at increasing monetisation and user engagement. Erotica and gamification features ","title":"Playing Games with My Heart: An Evaluation of AI Companion Apps","vendor":"arxiv_cs_ai"},"confidence":{"method":"deterministic"},"decision":"POSITIVE","issued_at":"2026-05-12T04:43:42Z","notes":"Spider vendor_press (news) news.vendor_press.v1","object":{"captured_by":"crovia.spider.vendor_press","primary_source_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.08093"},"predecessors":[],"schema":"crovia.axiom.v1","signature":"ed25519:21e122ba60b7a0ee744ab969afb3cc0badf8f44ac0f74633f89b0cc1caf9ae1706fa4f949a4c5039c3ddb30cc9e98fb6794502fc207a732622de7a137e0e5903","signer":"crovia.substrate","subject":{"observed_at":"2026-05-12T04:43:42Z","source_collector":"spider:vendor_press","target_id":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.08093"},"tsa":{"authority":"crovia.substrate.bootstrap","rfc3161_token":"{\"kind\":\"crovia.bootstrap.tsa\",\"source_jsonl\":\"/opt/crovia/spider/data/news/vendor_press_v1.jsonl\",\"source_seal_merkle_root\":\"spider_vendor_press_v1\",\"upgrade_path\":\"Sessione H \\u2014 OpenTimestamps weekly anchor\"}"},"zk_mode":"clear","zk_proof":null},"ledger":{"leaf_hash":"01bab71de72263fb8f5f24f525a2f73ad4f427717f0c7d1cbc4098feffe34530","leaf_index":128453,"ledger_path":"/opt/crovia/substrate/axiom_ledger.jsonl"},"merkle_proof":{"hash_alg":"sha256","leaf_prefix":"0x00","node_prefix":"0x01","odd_leaf_rule":"duplicate_last","path":[{"sibling":"5b396ffc329e5ee598ce9a820f8f8613cba42f4b67dc5f5a7faf55720fa48cb4","side":"left"},{"sibling":"6005e94963a05b4f72598bf36806af55f2e8db6f00af7a43e29599ff42285b40","side":"right"},{"sibling":"0bc04674eb1d33d9215f6ff646e3c06eb7a77a41bc0993e798f7c7599f59f659","side":"left"},{"sibling":"9a974726d48bf9e40d74955a5dae26b0756ddf22dae6f0462592915870325d3a","side":"right"},{"sibling":"0ef4692e6c5429c9870b5aa075883dc4357d7bbb9e28ccd8ffe6fa1d39e1e149","side":"right"},{"sibling":"584f7351ea8abce1efad8787266629d24824a20b95d0b0d8ae4a978c78e050b3","side":"right"},{"sibling":"80a5f0118f1cab257d86ade2f02746f5ce1158951c70a9e1f7025391472dc0ef","side":"left"},{"sibling":"0fac4565968e7e49cfc1d10e28cfc4966c72b4dd0deb14bce20d28acb7a0d65a","side":"left"},{"sibling":"aa3ddc60ad25fcdd4bf93520d8baeca26d807789d80fb0deffbb19c4f8882286","side":"left"},{"sibling":"077005bbaed7b42537914de0b512ed52d33243215eab288181aba807d37bf04e","side":"right"},{"sibling":"c6eaf7a4fcab2db96e9e9423acb6922c80f64882d0f3f50d09e53a4807d23084","side":"left"},{"sibling":"df12eaabc0a370aff5d0488478f48d2b3f90d025c903643f98ea804b017688ec","side":"right"},{"sibling":"ffc4d51379293bc3e1910c7d612f409dc610fd9acf8241793fb89f82e1bad4ef","side":"left"},{"sibling":"62ac6554017807bd83187f5a3e5f4f72d6c482616429c2780e9fff1f4845fa04","side":"left"},{"sibling":"3a5e69cf0803f4c91f3895ed7c9a95748fef240bec4422e167c05300f79f06c0","side":"left"},{"sibling":"f2817ab288b5324fe49770372c7a10f33f7cd11005f8d4c0a730316f5229dc98","side":"left"},{"sibling":"725fac972e772ca0dc598810ea1abc70df472f72d2d6ab8a0baee2b80e5d2f4c","side":"left"},{"sibling":"98fc57dfef8873b512edc8340f7181df57302bb96777625e072235c62d7c5895","side":"right"}]},"schema":"crovia.axiom_proof.v1","seal":{"first_collector_run_id":"","first_receipt_hash":"","jsonl_path":"/opt/crovia/substrate/axiom_ledger.jsonl","key_id":"430895f101d38164","last_collector_run_id":"","last_receipt_hash":"","leaf_count":134292,"merkle_root":"77fc9c28fae777b81da5b495b3115474df6592dfac590333213d3bdf8b94a9b3","public_key_hex":"cf742e26f75669dc673cb5c0786a1ae23ae8ca19c347317192ce40c28a7ff25c","run_id":"hourly_json_retrofit_20260515T023701Z","schema":"crovia.seal.v1","seal_family_version":"crovia-seal-family/1","seal_kind":"substrate_batch","sealed_at":"2026-05-15T02:37:25Z","sig_algorithm":"ed25519","signature":"68107a834b00b24f5d4501e5ec727445311f132a486567ecc4c72a4e6dff24c8c21f2de3105293353ba5fdbe370d032819af6aa70f694e2e39b6af6737507009","signer_version":"1.1.0"},"trust_root":{"key_id":"430895f101d38164","public_key_hex":"cf742e26f75669dc673cb5c0786a1ae23ae8ca19c347317192ce40c28a7ff25c","signature_algorithm":"ed25519","url":"/registry/canon/TRUST_ROOT.md"},"verifier":{"spec":"/registry/canon/AXIOM_RECEIPT_v1.md","url":"/v/axm_38448afb6abba070e2b2df4af31df507dbda7f42907363f3e68e21e3ab1d34aa"}}