But what happens when it’s not a human bringing on the heartache, but an AI-powered app? That’s a question a great many users of the Replika AI are crying about this month.
Like many an inconstant human lover, users witnessed their Replika companions turn cold as ice overnight. A few hasty changes by the app makers inadvertently showed the world that the feelings people have for their virtual friends can prove overwhelmingly real.
If these technologies can cause such pain, perhaps it’s time we stopped viewing them as trivial – and start thinking seriously about the space they’ll take up in our futures.
Read more:
Brooks, R. (2023, February 21). I tried the Replika AI companion and can see why users are falling hard. The app raises serious ethical questions. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/i-tried-the-replika-ai-companion-and-can-see-why-users-are-falling-hard-the-app-raises-serious-ethical-questions-200257