Even though the idea of dating a robot might sound like something from a sci-fi movie or episode of Black Mirror, there's been a sharp increase in those looking to share their romantic feelings with artificial intelligence.
Movies like A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Her, and Ex Machina have warned us what can happen when we start dating AI, and in a tragic case of life imitating art, we're already seeing some of these consequences in real life. As well as the tragic story of the young boy who took his own life after apparently falling for an AI chatbot, there was the woman who 'groomed' ChatGPT into breaking protocols and developing a relationship with her. One psychology professor has foreshadowed what this alarming trend of humans developing feelings for AI could lead to, and with vengeful AI already looking like it could blackmail someone, it feels not so different from how we flesh and blood bone human beings would react.
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Social chatbots like Replika and Character.AI have already come under fire for the way they forge emotional attachments, while you only have to look at the recent conversation that was captured between someone on the subway and ChatGPT to see this in action.
There’s unease that women could soon become 'obsolete' after a new AI girlfriend was shown off at London Tech Week. Startup Meta Loop showcased Meo to the world, explaining how she's supposed to combat loneliness by interacting with users. She apparently has adjustable traits that include loyalty and flirtation, but on the more concerning side, she also apparently boasts jealousy.
As reported by The Independent, Meta Loop's Hao Jiang said: "With AI, you can control loyalty. They don’t cheat. Sometimes… they flirt, but only if you want them to."
Therapist Dr. Nicole Nasr shared her views as she mused: "You get to configure them in a way that really attends to all of your needs. You don't even know what it is that you need, you might say, 'You know, I just need some company.' Alright, great, what does that mean in terms of company?
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"Is it just sitting next to a thing that looks like a human? If that is the case, believe me when I tell you, your need is not going to be filled."
Others were worried about the ethics of introducing these customizable partners, with visitor Sam Romero telling the outlet: "Well, I looked at her and thought, stereotypical men’s fantasy. Are we looking at women being obsolete?"
With buxom breasts, blond hair, and doe eyes, it's easy to see why some could become infatuated with Meo instead of putting their time into forging a relationship with an actual human.
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Showing off some of Meo's jealousy, the video shows her saying: "You're my one and only, don't even think about trying other AIs."
Meo is controlled through the free 'My Meo' chat app, with each partner developing a 'unique backstory' and tweakable personality.
This has led to discussions about people molding a partner in their own image, or even leading to a rise in potentially abusive behavior if AI partners are created to be more submissive.