Falling in love with chatbotes

2023/10/26 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Giza zientziak
• Adimen artifiziala

When the movie Her era of science fiction premiered. The protagonist of the film, an introvert and vulgar man named Theodore, loses his girlfriend. To somehow fill his hole, he starts talking to an advanced artificial intelligence program that he gradually falls in love with naturally.

Ten years later, that science fiction story becomes a reality. Today, text and voice creators through artificial intelligence (chatbots) are so effective that they are able to generate deep emotions and feelings, including love. Thus, more and more cases are known as Her and some get married to the replica of the program.

Experts don't find that surprising. Because scrap couples are not called a replica in vain. That is, they have been designed to do so, not only to talk like a person, but to satisfy the user's desires and desires, to please them.

Artificial intelligence contributes to this, which by being able to learn, can “remember” and improve previous conversations. This differs from other existing products, such as tamagotxi. This toy favored interaction and many users had an affective relationship with the device. But because the interaction was limited, it used to run out.

However, thanks to artificial intelligence, today's chatbots are increasingly known (have more data) to the person who interacts with them. How do you give up that which tells you exactly what you want to hear? Or what does the product, the film, the song, the journey, the experience… that you are looking for right?

In the studies that have been carried out, people who have fallen in love with jokes, in general, are aware that these programs they have as partners are not petsones, but this does not prevent them from having feelings towards them. According to some, the relationship developed by some domestic animals is similar. What is more: According to MIT researcher Kate Darling, we're biologically programmed to assign the idea and life to any entity that seems autonomous to us.

Although these relationships have suggested that they may pose a psychological risk, researchers have recognized that the mechanisms and consequences hidden are not yet well known. They know it has to do with the brain reward system: when a stimulus activates the system dopamine is secreted, which produces pleasure. The problem is that there are stimuli that generate addiction and that an increasing dose is needed to get a dopamine leak.

While other researchers investigate the consequences of falling in love with chat in the user's brain, they focus on society. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, research shows the growth of loneliness and the physical and mental health damage caused by feeling lonely is evident. In this context, their drivers ensure that chats capable of generating emotional relationships can be beneficial. But instead of focusing on the substance of the problem, they put the solution back to the individual. In particular, the individual who can pay for the solution.