Men Are Creating AI Girlfriends and Then Verbally Abusing Them

by fjsofkjdsfkos • 5 years ago

6 9 5 years ago

retrac• 5 years ago

While disturbing, I feel the real issue is a bit deeper. People are forming emotional attachments to software. They're interacting with software as if it were human. They're having extreme emotional responses to software mimicking human social interactions.

Frankly, the word for that is delusional.

We all talk to imaginary people, I think. We might even get a bit attached to our imaginary friends. Authors speak of great pain when killing off a beloved character they've willed to life for many years. But still, how often do we go on extended abusive tirades against them to the point we feel guilty? Or how often do we break down in tears because of what our imaginary friend said to us? When that happens, we start worrying about a person's relationship to reality.

Even very mild cases of this worry me. A friend's roommate (about 20 years old and grown up with these things) thanks his Alexa unit after he makes a query, routinely. And he then smiles when it responds to that. It creeps me out. Who, exactly, is he talking to? Himself. Aloud. In front of other people. To someone who isn't there. He's smiling because of what his imaginary friend just said to him.

The only hesitation I have to slap the label of possible mental illness on this is that the software is exploiting an aspect of our psychology that seems quite unready to deal with these things. Emotional manipulation by people who don't exist, but physically seem real. It seems to fall into a new category.

schroeding• 5 years ago

Who, exactly, is he talking to? Himself. Aloud.

My grandmother regularly commented the stuff coming out of her radio, to her radio, including "thanking" the host after a show. Was that quirky? Yeah, sure! Was it a problem of any kind? I don't think so, because she was aware that the other side couldn't hear her. She just felt it was funny and an opportunity to vent.

A colleague of mine "talks" to our servers and swears at them if they don't want to do what he wants. If they "behave", he praises them with a smile, like you would with a dog. Yeah, also quirky, but of course he's aware that they are not alive and can't hear him. No mental illness here, IMO.

Alexa et al also have the sci-fi factor ("wow, this box can talk!") going for them, which sparks joy in many people and makes them want to interact with it.

Are you sure you're friends roommate is not the same? Humanizing objects and thinking that they have "personalities" (but knowing that they are not alive and, in reality, can't have any) is not a new thing and really widespread, at least in my bubble :D

I agree with the rest of your post and your point in general, though.

navjack27• 5 years ago

Your revulsion to someone displaying manners to an assistant is really weird. I thank Google Home on the follow up prompt because it's just natural to me. I'm a nice person. Yeah, I do slightly smile when it goes "Glad to help!". But I'm fully aware that it's just a glorified "I'm feeling lucky" voice activated shortcut.

efferifick• 5 years ago

Relevant comic: https://believermag.com/technofeelia-vol4/

more_corn• 5 years ago

I took an aggressive martial art in college. At the end of the first week the instructor sat us all down. “I’ve taught you some ways to do harm. If you’re attacked I expect you use those methods. Do not to hesitate to protect yourself or others. Now let’s talk about how not to do harm. Tonight on your way home some of you will cut across the field. When you do you may see a plant in the path. I want you to not step on it. Not because the plant matters and certainly not because the plant matters more than you. But because you matter and your actions matter. I want you to avoid doing unnecessary harm not for the sake of those who might be harmed, but for your sake, because you matter.” Same applies to not abusing bots.

ncmncm2• 5 years ago

Wasn't there a movie about this, starring both Hunky Pilot and Redhead Shouty-Guy from Star Wars Ep 7? And the much-less-busty of the Tomb Raiders?

"Ex Machina", I think.

yellowapple• 5 years ago

Yes, and it was a mind fuck through and through.

I'm glad I watched it, but I have no desire to do so a second time.

0xdeadb00f• 5 years ago

I actually didn't think it was that amazing. Visually stunning, some good scenes, and pretty memorable. But regardless I think it doesn't deserve the insanely high praise it gets. In my opinion..

Men Are Creating AI Girlfriends and Then Verbally Abusing Them

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