That's got to be a _tiny_ market, tho.

The loneliness epidemic is real. A society focused on efficiency and business is alienating a lot of people.

I am not so sure. Even if that market is small currently, the first-to-market (for the "girlfriend" apps) weren't able to advertise directly to ChatGPT's current user base (perhaps more accurately, they didn't do so effectively). Adding some "notifications" or subtler nudges to ChatGPT's interface is something that only OpenAI can do, and is likely to change user behavior.

I think you grossly underestimate it. Character.ai is pretty popular, Facebook is pushing social chatbots, etc. Onlyfans and explicit streaming services are a multi-billion industry, not just because of the sexual material but for the human contact that some people get from it.