Chatbots for relationships are very popular at the moment. Just take a look at the abundance of AI girlfriend bots that appeared as soon as OpenAI’s GPT store started earlier this month, despite the fact that they appeared to be in violation of the new store’s policies.
The pattern shouldn’t come as a surprise. Our interpersonal relationships are becoming more and more digitally mediated through screens and apps, especially for younger generations. Relationship bots now make sense because of this.
However, it’s possible that the new virtual love partners are more of a novelty than the new standard.
Professor of sociology at the University of British Columbia Laura Nelson stated, “I don’t think that we’re going to lose personal relationships to chatbot relationships.”
According to her, relationship chatbots occupy a specialized space and are probably here to stay.
More chatbots for girlfriends than for boyfriends
Chatbots for relationships have been in existence for over ten years. Microsoft launched Xiaoice, a chatbot that went viral in China in 2014 and was viewed by many as a virtual lover. However, Nelson is dubious that girlfriend or boyfriend chatbots would become popular in this country anytime soon because AI girlfriend chatbots weren’t very popular in the US back then.
According to Nelson, men are more likely to be the target market for relationship chatbots.
According to Nelson, there has always been a small segment of the society where a greater proportion of men than women use internet forums and sex texts to find emotional and sexual connection. She added that because there is money to be earned in the AI sector, that would continue.
According to Nelson, there are sociological reasons why “female” AI chatbots are more prevalent than “male” AI chatbots. She claimed that men are less adept at forming emotional connections with other guys out of social pressure, and that girlfriend chatbots can meet requirements that many men do not get from male pals.
According to Nelson, women are less inclined to be open about dating chatbots because there is a greater stigma associated with engaging with one. Meanwhile, pop culture has contributed to the normalization of males and AI interactions, according to Nelson. The only moderately futuristic 2013 film Her, in which Joaquin Phoenix befriends an AI virtual assistant voiced by Scarlett Johansson, is arguably the most well-known example.
Chatbots’ future
According to Nelson, Microsoft’s Xiaoice has assimilated into Chinese society and occasionally provides elderly parents with emotional support. China also has more stringent regulations about the capabilities of technology.
According to Nelson, the actual worry is the safeguards in place for chatbots in the event that a user provides it with sensitive data.
Whatever the case, it’s certain that chatbots are here to stay with companies like Microsoft and OpenAI producing a plethora of chatbots for users to engage with on a daily basis. What other shapes chatbots will take is the only unanswered question.
Nelson predicted that chatbots will probably be used in the future to help with tasks around the house, such drafting emails or taking care of the elderly. For example, a 2019 study discovered that interacting with older persons with dementia using non-verbal, cuddly pet-like robots may enhance their social interaction, loneliness, and overall quality of life.
Real use cases will surface as the hype surrounding technology subsides, as with any other hype cycle.
