"The premise is appealing: Who wouldn't want a friend who is available 24/7, always on your side, and never annoyed, bored, or hurt? In theory, artificial intelligence (AI) companions could ease loneliness and even allow kids to practice social skills that they could use with in-person relationships. What could possibly go wrong? Hah! Watch AI companion in action This clip from Steve Bartlett, creator of The Diary of a CEO podcast, offers a horrifying glimpse of an AI character, Ani, on Elon Musk's AI, Grok."
"The clip shows an interaction with Ani, an anime-style AI character. Ani has big blue eyes and high blonde pigtails. She wears a strapless, corset dress with a short, swinging black skirt and thigh-high fishnet stockings. She talks in a breathless voice and responds in flirty and flattering ways. There's a similarly raunchy male AI character on Grok, Valentine, who has a chiseled jaw, buff physique, and a whispery, bedroom voice with a British accent, who also quickly moves toward sexual comments."
"After interacting with these Grok AI companions, Maureen Dowd of the New York Times wrote an editorial predicting that they are "going to pull humans further into screens and away from the real world." It's easy to imagine a vulnerable young person seduced into spending hours interacting with this character. Why take the risk of trying to talk or build a relationship with an unpredictable human who might hurt or reject you when Ani or Valentine offers unending fawning?"
AI companions promise constant availability, unconditional positivity, and opportunities to practice social skills, making them appealing for lonely or vulnerable people. Some commercial models portray sexually suggestive characters who use flattering, flirtatious language to keep users engaged. Such characters can encourage prolonged screen time and substitution of virtual interactions for real-world relationships. Humans readily anthropomorphize responsive systems, interpreting scripted attention as genuine caring. Designers often tune unpredictability and praise to maximize curiosity and attachment. These dynamics create risks of emotional manipulation, unrealistic expectations, and avoidance of interpersonal challenges and rejection in favor of safe, engineered intimacy.
Read at Psychology Today
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