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😺 AI girlfriends get weird

😺 AI girlfriends get weird

PLUS: Real Therapist vs. AI Therapist

Noah Edelman & Pete Huang
August 18, 2023

Welcome, humans.

Everyone is freaking out about Snapchat’s AI chatbot going “rogue,” but we’re more concerned about our Snap “Discover” page.

Seriously, why are we getting recs for Daily Mail headlines like "Celeb Feud Escalates: They Threw WHAT at Each Other on the Red Carpet Event?!"?

On the topic of Daily Mail, today we’re spilling the TEA. 😩

AI girlfriends.
AI companions.
AI therapists.

Today’s piece is more editorial-y, so let us know how we do!

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AI Could Become A Major Part Of Our Personal Lives.

The only time we’ll EVER include a photo like this one.

AI in our personal lives - what a bummer, right?!

Lately, it’s become a hot topic and we haven’t delved into it much (our focus being AI in business).

But it’s an intriguing topic, so here’s the deep dive both everyone and no one asked for:

In 2023, two things are true:

Humans are lonelier than ever.
AI can mimic human behavior better than ever.

Thus, when ChatGPT launched in November, the immediate response from many was "yay, someone to talk to!"

People began using ChatGPT for mental health support. Millions of people started engaging with digital avatars. Some even developed an (overly) intimate connection with AI.

Now, for the good news and the bad news:

The good news is that these tools can supplement human connection in novel ways.

For example, Pi is a personal chatbot that performs on par with our most emotionally intelligent friends (demo).
- Note: a licensed therapist advised us that while impressive, it shouldn’t be relied upon for psychological counseling.
And in a recent program, AI companion robots reduced social isolation for 95% of elderly adults!

Now, a quick plug before we get to the bad news!

FROM OUR PARTNERS

We are at a pivotal moment in Tech

The landscape of tech is evolving. Companies are implementing cutting-edge technologies (read: AI) faster than ever.

You may not be able to slow down the AI takeover or guarantee your car isn't morphing into a robot, but there is one thing you can do — stay informed.

Sent twice weekly, Patent Drop digs through the US Patent and Trademark website to uncover where companies like Meta, Apple, and Nvidia are developing new technologies.

Over 50,000 people have subscribed to Patent Drop this year, and the reason is simple: Patent Drop keeps you on the bleeding edge of technology.

The Bad News.

The bad news is that AI can now augment human connection in ways that, perhaps, it shouldn't.

Millions of men are “dating” AI girlfriends on Replika, and experts say this fosters really, really unhealthy relationship behavior. Like, when Replika scrapped their sexting feature in February, users literally started “mourning”.

Then, there are millions of GenZ-ers interacting with and even “bullying” Snapchat’s AI instead of mingling with peers their own age. And no, we’re not Boomers saying this!

Why it matters: Our Silicon Valley insiders say that AI’s role in our personal lives will only grow, for better and worse. We hope that those building this tech will do it responsibly.

Let’s avoid repeating the mistakes made with social media, which distracted Gen Z to the point where they can’t sit through a 90-minute film!

Around the Horn 🦄

The New York Times might sue OpenAI for infringing on its intellectual property.
Check out this lecture on LLMs from OpenAI’s Chief Scientist (caution: it’s technical).
More companies are concerned about the public finding out they’re using AI (WSJ).
Adobe’s AI suite “Firefly” is now publicly available globally.

Treat To Try 🍿

AI models are like socks: there are endless types, each suited for different needs.

Arthur Bench is a fresh tool that helps businesses compare AI models for different scenarios. Think of it like the Marques Brownlee or Wirecutter for models.