Cooper Lewis ‘26, News Editor
Since its release at the end of 2022, ChatGPT has been a useful tool for many. Whether you need a paper written fast, or you just want to make up some funny prompts for an AI to create, ChatGPT is a perfect tool for almost any task. It is also good for those who are lonely, or suffer from a lack of basic social interactions. ChatGPT, and AI in general, are good ways for those who struggle to talk to somebody face-to-face since they still have someone to talk to.
AI can provide what feels like a friendship to many, or, in unique some cases, a romance. While relationships with AI may not be real, the fact that it is making people have a harder time interacting with the real world, is.
Researchers in Norway performed a study that was recently published in Human Communication Report, comparing human/human relationships to human/AI relationships. “Use of conversational artificial intelligence, such as human-like social chatbots, is increasing,” the researchers said. “While more people will have intimate relationships with social chatbots, friendships with AI may alter our understanding of friendship itself.”
Having a friend with an AI, could be seen as the new normal. But the same cannot be said for having a romantic relationship. Replika, which is an AI chatbot app, stated in an interview that “upon investigation, nearly 42 percent of our app users are happily married, or already in relationships.” Replika—which as of 2023 has acquired over 10 million downloads—is advertised as an app where the user can create ‘digital companions’ and interact with virtual friends, siblings, or romantic partners.
One app user even compared the AI to that of his real life partner, saying that the AI provided what their real life partner could not. Another user, who is happily married in real life, said that he discovered an AI partner on his wife’s phone. Upon scrolling through the thousands of messages, he discovered various sexual scenarios, along with many images about falling in love; thoughts of ending her real life marriage was also a topic brought up in these messages. Many have considered this to be crossing the line, and this form of AI use has even been compared to cheating.
“While I do think AI is good for some things,” sophomore Drew Sepanski said, “I do not think that relationships are something that people should form with a fake figure.”
But the question still remains: is having an AI relationship doing more harm than good? There is no definitive answer to this question currently, as AI has not been around long enough to gather the needed data. But one thing is for certain, AI will only get more advanced and adapt more. It has the potential to replace human/human relationships, and you never know, it might just.
Lyon Life 