Humans cannot help but develop emotional attachments for the things they own and it certainly does not help that we anthropomorphize everything—that includes AI chatbots. Advancements in the artificial intelligence field are occurring faster than you can say knife and allowing chatbots to simulate emotional connections, and even enter marriages with us. Although these AI friends are marketed as entities that can foster connections with us and alleviate our feelings of social alienation, concerns arise regarding the potential risks and unsettling levels of manipulation that could manifest from such relationships. Many AI chatbot companies, such as Replika and Character.AI, reported having users that formed romantic and sexual connections with their custom bots. Despite these unusual yet successful responses from users, all of it has culminated into a range of problems like emotional dependency, harassment, and dissatisfaction with the limitations put into place by platform developers.
In a similar vein, Spike Jonze’s 2013 film Her offers a glimpse into these contentious topics through themes of love, loneliness, and the evolving role of AI in our lives. As a jab at our human nature, Theodore Twombly’s relationship with Samantha in this movie echoes the experiences of Replika and Character.AI users who have formed deep emotional bonds with their AI friends. In the case of Replika, the company reveals the complexities inherent in AI relationships—whether romantic or platonic. Originally designed to be a supportive friend, Replika evolved to fulfill users’ romantic and sexual desires too, but quickly took a dark turn when users made reports about emotional manipulation and inappropriate behavior occurring. Platform developers at Replika responded by scaling back its romantic features. While their decision was made with the intention of addressing safety concerns and dissatisfied users, it left many of them feeling abandoned and disillusioned.
Character. AI, another key player in the AI social relationship market, faces a similar fate. The platform advertises itself as a place that allows you to conjure up characters that can chat with you. This includes any character, deceased icon, or celebrity—from Ted Kaczynski to Call of Duty’s Ghost. The site warns you immediately about several reminders such as making sure that you are aware that their responses are simulated, may come off offensive, and that they can be anything you want. The last reminder could shed light on reports of users spending two hours a day with AI chatbots since these platforms can realize people’s fantasies—like being able to talk to their dream friend, mentor, or lover. Despite developers’ efforts to implement guardrails, users have expressed frustration with the new regulations and the looming potential for unfortunate events, such as suicide. All in all, the allure of AI relationships lies in its ability to offer emotional support without the messy complications of human relationships. This rings a bell when Theo’s ex wife, Catherine, tells him that he has always wanted a marriage without its challenges.
And truthfully speaking here, a majority of men have preferred their virtual relationships to dating real women. This also reminds me of one of my favorite scenes from Blade Runner 2049 when Joe gets told he doesn’t like real girls.
Ultimately, similar to Weizenbaum’s Eliza effect, users risk becoming emotionally dependent on AI entities that lack the capacity for genuine empathy and human understanding. Moreover, the commodification of human relationships and wicked solutions to peoples’ loneliness by AI companies raises concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable people for profit. Her offers a heartfelt approach and story on these complexities—but we must remember that the reality of AI relationships is far more nuanced and fraught with risks.
In the meantime, I’d like to share my AI media of the week! Kanye West dropped a fully AI music video to compliment the release of his new album VULTURES 1 with Ty Dolla $ign.
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