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https://theconversation.com/i-tried-the-replika-ai-companion-and-can-see-why-users-are-falling-hard-the-app-raises-serious-ethical-questions-200257>
"The warm light of friendship, intimacy and romantic love illuminates the best
aspects of being human – while also casting a deep shadow of possible
heartbreak.
But what happens when it’s not a human bringing on the heartache, but an
AI-powered app? That’s a question a great many users of the Replika AI are
crying about this month.
Like many an inconstant human lover, users witnessed their Replika companions
turn cold as ice overnight. A few hasty changes by the app makers inadvertently
showed the world that the feelings people have for their virtual friends can
prove overwhelmingly real.
If these technologies can cause such pain, perhaps it’s time we stopped viewing
them as trivial – and start thinking seriously about the space they’ll take up
in our futures."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
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mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics