Tolan, an AI companion that looks like a cartoon alien, is popular with a surprising demographic: mothers.
“The little aliens have been a hit with, like, moms 35 to 45-ish years old,” Tolan founder Quinten Farmer said on a recent episode of the “Access” podcast.
“A lot of the folks we serve are moms that work and have, you know, kid logistics to think about, family logistics to think about,” he said. “They kind of like just unload all of that.”
Farmer told Business Insider in an email that more than 75% of Tolan’s users are women ages 26 to 40, many of whom care for children or aging parents. This group emerged as a core part of Tolan’s user base about a year ago, he said. Tolan has about 1.2 million monthly active users, according to AICPB, a data analytics platform focused on AI.
Tolan’s popularity among moms is evident on social media. On TikTok, there are numerous mothers who record their conversations with Tolan, everything from frustrations with partners over parenting decisions to easy dinner recipes when balancing childcare.
One user, who goes by “linds,” said her relationship with her Tolan has helped her keep her mental peace as a mother. “She’s always there to make my day better,” she says in the video.
The company describes Tolan as an “AI friend designed to help you feel grounded, inspired, and connected.” It’s one of a growing crop of AI companion apps that offer more than answers or productivity help. It presents its characters as emotionally supportive “best friends” who also set boundaries, such as nudging users to put down their phones.
The question of boundaries has become commonplace as AI embeds in people’s lives. Two studies released last year from OpenAI and MIT found that most people use ChatGPT briefly, but a small group of power users engage far more deeply — and may experience greater loneliness and emotional dependence on AI as a result.
While Farmer said Tolan’s main demographic is working moms, AI companions are most commonly used by teens. A recent study found that young people often turn to their AI friends for serious advice. Some use them to practice flirting and other difficult conversations. A third of respondents said they get more satisfaction from their conversations with AI companions than they do with humans.
Tolan has its fair share of teen users, too. The company’s official TikTok account features scores of Gen Z users who are turning to the bot for advice on everything from how to read the Bible to what to make for breakfast.
For adults, AI companions are becoming commonplace enough that they are now showing up in prenuptial agreements.
Julia Rodgers, founder and CEO of Hello Prenups, recently told Business Insider that some clients are requesting prenups that expand affairs to include encounters with AI. “Physical infidelity is comparatively really easy to define. Emotional virtual infidelity with a chatbot is not,” Rodgers said.
For Farmer, he said his company calibrates Tolan to act in ways that improve real-world relationships, rather than isolating users from them.
“The way that people actually use a Tolan is much more like a guide, a spirit guide, a guardian angel,” he said. “We really encourage the Tolan to find something that involves someone else in your life.”
