I tried that Replika app before AI was trendy
Same here, it was unbelievably shallow. Everything I liked it just mimiced, without even trying to do a simulation of a real conversation. "Oh you like cucumbers? Me too! I also like electronic music, of course. Do you want some nudes?"
Even when I'm at my loneliest, I still prefer to be lonely than have a "conversation" with something like this. I really don't understand how some people can have relationships with an AI.
Use knockd and iptables, gone are the fucking bots.