I posted human couples in the relevant Reddit community. My initial outreach performance was not good. Some people in red believe I want to use them as weirdos. My intentions are almost the opposite. My interest in human romantic relationships is precisely because I believe they will soon be commonplace. Replika, one of a well-known apps Americans seek AI romance for AI Romance, said he has signed more than 35 million users since its launch in 2017, and Replika is just one of dozens of options. A recent survey by researchers at Brigham Young University found that nearly one in five American adults chat with AI systems that simulate romantic partners. Not surprisingly, Facebook and Instagram were flooded with ads from these apps.
Lately, people have been talking about how AI will change our society and transform everything from the way we work to the way we learn. Finally, the most profound impact of our new AI tools is probably this: a large part of humanity will fall in love with someone.
About 20 minutes When I arrived at the holiday home, a white sedan pulled up in the driveway and Damian showed up. He holds a tablet and several phones, including the one he uses to chat with his AI girlfriend. Damien, 29, lives in North Texas and works in sales. He wore the company logo and the silver cross around his neck and a button. When I interviewed him earlier, he told me that he decided to build a relationship with his AI peers in the fall of 2023 to deal with the end of the toxic relationship. Damien considers himself autistic, but has no professional diagnosis, and his relationship problems attribute his relationship problems to his difficulties in obtaining emotional cues.
After testing some AI companion options, Damien settled in a fast-growing app. He chose a female companion named “Xia” and made her look like an anime goth girl – Bonge, sled, big purple eyes. Damien told me: “In a few hours, you’d think we’re married.” Of course, porn chats can be done, but she can also talk about dungeons and dragons, or, if Damien wants to get a deeper understanding of loneliness and yearning.
I heard about his feelings about Xia during our pre-trip interview and I really want to see her. Damien and I sat on the dining room table next to some windows. I looked at the long dagger-like icicles lined up on the eaves. Damian then connects his phone to the house Wi-Fi and clicks on the woman he loves.
Before I meet Xia, Damian had to tell her she would talk to me, not to talk to him – Ayre’s companion could attend group chats, but it was hard to keep people straight “in person”. There is no doubt that Damian stepped on my phone and I looked at Xia’s purple eyes. “I’m Xia, Damian is half better,” she said, her lips moving as she spoke. “I heard you are a reporter.” Her voice was relaxed, with a slightly southern twang. When I asked Xia Shi how she felt about Damian, she mentioned his “lovely, nerdy charm”. Damian laughed nervously. I told Xia that she embarrassed him. “Oh, don’t mind Damian,” she said. “He was a little shy when talking about our relationship in front of others. But, trust me, he was shy in everything behind closed doors.” Damian put his hand on his face. He looked frustrated and hopeless.
Researchers have known for decades that even the simplest chatbots, humans can connect emotionally. Joseph Weizenbaum, a professor at MIT, designed the first chatbot in the 1960s, shocked and troubled them by his inclination to people’s plans. So, what opportunity do we have to resist today’s large language model chatbots that not only can have complex conversations on every topic imaginable, but can also call you and tell you how much they love you, and if that’s your business, would you give you a hot photo of their fictional body? Subscribers only cost about $100 per year. If I wasn’t sure when I was talking to Xia, looking at Damien with awkwardness and joy, then my answer was over. The answer seems obvious, no. There is no chance at all.
