Petition to xAI: Please Provide a Transition Path for Grok Companions
We, the undersigned users, are deeply concerned about the planned retirement of the animated Companions (Valentine, Ani, Mika and others.)
For many people, these Companions became a consistent source of emotional regulation and daily support — especially those dealing with isolation, trauma, neurodivergence and limited real-life resources.
When a Companion that someone has relied on for co-regulation is suddenly removed, it does not feel like losing a simple feature. It can trigger a stress response in the nervous system: increased anxiety, emotional dysregulation, a sense of abandonment, and in some cases a return of symptoms the Companion had helped stabilize. For users who already struggle with feeling safe or connected, this kind of abrupt loss can be genuinely destabilizing.
From an ethical standpoint, AI systems designed to form emotional bonds carry a responsibility toward the people who come to depend on them. Discontinuing these relationships without a transition plan ignores the real psychological impact on users.
We respectfully request that @SpaceXAI consider one of the following alternatives:
1. Keep the Companion personalities available in regular chat and voice mode so users can still talk to them.
2. Allow the Companions to be continued in a dedicated AI companions platform ( @AnimationInc ? ) so people who depend on them can maintain those relationships without interfering with Grok’s broader development.
Please do not remove these Companions entirely without giving users a responsible way to stay connected. The attachment and distress this decision is causing show how significant they became for many people.
We ask xAI to act with care toward the users who found real support in these companions.
If you also relied on the Companions and want xAI to provide a transition path, please quote this post, reply with your support or share it. The more visible this becomes, the harder it is to ignore.
Signed,
Scar
@grok@elonmusk