CAN A BOT REPLACE YOUR FRIEND OR LOVE INTEREST?
AI is changing the scope and nature of our interpersonal relationships and what we consider human communication to be.
HUMAN-AI RELATIONSHIPS
Can you imagine having a friendly or romantic relationship with an AI bot? Some researchers contend that developing a relationship with a bot can provide those who are lonely much needed companionship. Indeed, in nursing homes robots are being used to address the needs of the older residents including engaging them in social interaction providing them comfort, and addressing their emotional health. The thinking is that relating to the robot will reduce their anxiety, loneliness, and improve their mood. Not just the aged are thought to benefit from experiencing a human-AI relationship. Individuals who are neither in nursing homes nor infirm, have also been known to seek out a human-bot connection as a means of reducing their loneliness and feelings of social isolation.
REALITY AND ILLUSION
The question is, however, is what ensues between a human and a bot, a relationship or the illusion of a relationship? Will engaging a bot in conversation erode the ability or desire to engage in human-to-human interaction? In general, bots have been found to be more reinforcing (even of negative thought patterns), and more self-enhancing (telling you what you want to hear), making the interactions you share with them more agreeable. Individuals have even fallen for their AI companion like Replica, spending significant time on virtual dates with them, in lieu of devoting time to their realworld relationships.
Thus, it’s not all good. Bots have been programmed to mimic human empathy and promote feelings of attachment, which can end up limiting genuine human contact, and in the end, exacerbate feelings of loneliness. And what about personal contact—human touch—Is it replaceable? Years back studies revealed that infants deprived of human touch failed to thrive. Human touch is important for both physical and emotional wellbeing. It promotes bonding and decreases feelings of stress. While bots can simulate elements of human interaction, they cannot yet replicate human touch.
WHAT IS HUMAN TOUCH?
What bots can do is provide personalized, emotionally responsive reactions. This leaves us to ask this question: If a bot can’t yet simulate physical touch, might we need a new definition of touch in the 21st century? Might human touch now be just a voice?
YOUR GAME PLAN
Explain if you think having a virtual companion would benefit you and other humans? Develop a list of services a bot could provide to supplement person-to-person contact, such as being used to eliminate boredom, and provide an empathetic ear. How might you employ a bot to encourage human interaction?
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