AI 'Girlfriend Apps' Raise Concerns Over Impact On Men's Behaviour, Experts Say
Artificial intelligence (AI) partners are now a thing. And experts claim that AI "girlfriend apps" are training men to be even worse. AI chatbots may be instructed to take on the role of whoever you want through clearly defined characteristics.
On top of that, there are certain fembots that are designed to offer companionship. According to a new report by The Guardian, popular AI apps like Replika could be creating a new generation of inconsiderate men.
The dangers of subservient AI bots
In an interview with The Guardian, Tara Hunter, the acting CEO of Full Stop Australia, a domestic violence advocacy group, expressed concerns over such chatbots. Hunter explained how creating a partner that one is able to control and that "meets your every need is really frightening."
Hunter referred to "ingrained cultural beliefs that men can control women" to highlight how such apps can enable problematic behaviour. Even then, such chatbots are just getting started, given the boom in AI technologies over the last six months.
Replika is at the forefront of such apps. Developed by a software company called Luka, Replika is pitched as an app "for anyone who wants a friend with no judgment, drama, or social anxiety involved. You can form an actual emotional connection, share a laugh, or get real with an AI thatĄ¯s so good it almost seems human," according to its app description on the Play Store.
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The app lets lets users customise the appearance of their AI companion, text with it, and even interact over video. The AI companion becomes smarter with more interaction from its human user. Another example of such apps is Anima, billed as a "virtual friend" and a "romance chatbot."
It's unclear how such AI chatbots might impact users in the long run. For instance, what are its psychological impacts, and could men using these apps start expecting the same behaviour from women in real life?
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Belinda Barnet, a senior lecturer in media at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, told The Guardian that its effects are "completely unknown," adding that such apps fit a "really profound social need" but claiming that more regulation is needed in terms of how such systems are trained.
What do you think about this boom in AI companionship apps? Let us know in the comments below.?For more in the world of?technology?and?science, keep reading?Indiatimes.com.
