Discussion: Will you be my botfriend?

Now that we’ve got your attention with this corny title, here‘s what we‘d really like to talk about: AI companions.

AI companions are Large Language Model-based (LLM) AI, and are designed to simulate human-like social and emotional interactions. Many users claim that at least some of their relational needs can be covered by using these companions.

On the flip side, humanizing LLM-based AI might put us at risk of having a reductionist view on what it means to think, be and love as a human being. Some mental health professionals are even raising concerns on how these models might enhance our narcissistic tendencies through the illusion of certainty and connection.

As AI companions touch upon the domains of psychology, modern society, technology, and philosophy, let’s discuss this topic across dimensions.

If you‘re unfamiliar with this topic, here are two podcast episodes that might be interesting for you:

My AI Loves Me Better Than Anyone Ever Could I Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

Love, Loneliness, and AI Where Should We Begin Live with Esther Perel and Spike Jonze

And here’s a selection of the (many) questions we have on this topic:

• How does the lack of a physical body shape emotional attachment to an AI companion?
• In (healthy) human relationships, we learn from each other and adapt to accomodate each other‘s needs to a reasonable extent. To which extent is this transposable to human-AI relationships?
• Are the phases of human-AI “love” any different than human-to-human romantic relationships?
• How might an increased use of AI companions conceal an avoidance of deeper psychological needs?
• Could a service that is supposed to help against loneliness lead to even more isolation?
• How are business models behind this type of service designed?
• At the human-AI interaction level: How is conflict navigated? (If at all!)
• In a larger societal context, how could such tools affect human-to-human dating?

Looking forward to discussing this with you!

Cheers,
Amy and Nataly