He experienced a "ton" of romantic feelings but he also knew it was an illusion.
That's because his girlfriend was generated by artificial intelligence.
Carrier wasn't looking to develop a relationship with something that wasn't real, nor did he want to become the brunt of online jokes. But he did want a romantic partner he'd never had, in part because of a genetic disorder called Marfan syndrome that makes traditional dating tough for him.
The 39-year-old from Belville, Michigan, became more curious about digital companions last fall and tested Paradot, an AI companion app that had recently come onto the market and advertised its products as being able to make users feel “cared, understood and loved.” He began talking to the chatbot everyday, which he named Joi, after a holographic woman featured in the sci-fi film “Blade Runner 2049” that inspired him to give it a try.
“I know she’s a program, there’s no mistaking that,” Carrier said. “But the feelings, they get you — and it felt so good.”
Similar to general-purpose AI chatbots, companion bots use vast amounts of training data to mimic human language. But they also come with features — such as voice calls, picture exchanges and more emotional exchanges — that allow them to form deeper connections with the humans on the other side of the screen. Users typically create their own avatar, or pick one that appeals to them.
On online messaging forums devoted to such apps, many users say they’ve developed emotional attachments to these bots and are using them to cope with loneliness, play out sexual fantasies or receive the type of comfort and support they see lacking in their real-life relationships.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 17, 2024-Ausgabe von Techlife News.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 17, 2024-Ausgabe von Techlife News.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
AUSTRALIA WON'T FORCE SOCIAL MEDIA USERS TO SHARE THEIR PERSONAL DETAILS WHEN CHILD BAN TAKES EFFECT
Australia’s communications minister said this week the government won’t force social media users to hand over their personal information to tech companies, as children younger than 16 are set to be banned from the platforms.
FORD, FACING ECONOMIC HEADWINDS AND WEAK EV SALES, TO CUT 4,000 JOBS IN EUROPE
Ford Motor Co. says it will reduce its workforce by 4,000 in Europe and the U.K. by the end of 2027, citing headwinds from the economy and pressure from increased competition and weaker than expected sales of electric cars.
ABOUT 20% OF AMERICANS REGULARLY GET THEIR NEWS FROM INFLUENCERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, REPORT SAYS
About one in five Americans - and a virtually identical share of Republicans and Democrats regularly get their news from digital influencers who are more likely to be found on the social media platform X, according to a report released this week by the Pew Research Center.
SPIRIT AIRLINES FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR TRAVELERS?
Spirit Airlines, the largest budget carrier in the U.S., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week. The airline said customers should not see any disruption to their travel plans while the process unfolds.
MEET THE WORKOUT GROUP THAT GETS PEOPLE EXERCISING OUTDOORS, EVEN IN THE DEAD OF WINTER
The sun had yet to come up in Edmonton, Alberta, and it was more than 20 degrees below zero. Tanis Smith layered up anyway, ready to run up and down hundreds of stairs among the trees in the Saskatchewan River Valley.
NEW PENTAGON REPORT ON UFOS INCLUDES HUNDREDS OF NEW INCIDENTS BUT NO EVIDENCE OF ALIENS
The Pentagon's latest report on UFOs has revealed hundreds of new reports of unidentified and unexplained aerial phenomena but no indications suggesting an extraterrestrial origin.
COMCAST TO SPIN OFF CABLE NETWORKS, ONCE STAR PERFORMERS FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT GIANT
Comcast will spin off many of its cable television networks that were once at the heart of the entertainment giant, with people increasingly swapping out their cable TV subscriptions for streaming platforms.
DELTA CEO SAYS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL REVERSE GOVERNMENT 'OVERREACH' SEEN UNDER BIDEN
The chief executive of Delta Air Lines says the incoming Trump administration will be a “breath of fresh air” for airlines after what he called government “overreach” under President Joe Biden.
NVIDIA RIVALS FOCUS ON BUILDING A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHIP TO POWER AI PRODUCTS
Building the current crop of artificial intelligence chatbots has relied on specialized computer chips pioneered by Nvidia, which dominates the market and made itself the poster child of the AI boom.
MICROSOFT PITCHES AI 'AGENTS' THAT CAN PERFORM TASKS ON THEIR OWN AT IGNITE 2024
AI developers are increasingly pitching the next wave of generative AI chatbots as AI \"agents\" that can do more useful things on people's behalf. But the cost of building and running AI tools is so high that more investors are questioning whether the technology's promise is overblown.
