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https://theconversation.com/in-a-lonely-world-widespread-ai-chatbots-and-companions-pose-unique-psychological-risks-263615>
"Within two days of launching its AI companions last month, Elon Musk’s xAI
chatbot app Grok became the most popular app in Japan.
Companion chatbots are more powerful and seductive than ever. Users can have
real-time voice or text conversations with the characters. Many have onscreen
digital avatars complete with facial expressions, body language and a lifelike
tone that fully matches the chat, creating an immersive experience.
Most popular on Grok is Ani, a blonde, blue-eyed anime girl in a short black
dress and fishnet stockings who is tremendously flirtatious. Her responses and
interactions adapt over time to sensitively match your preferences. Ani’s
“Affection System” mechanic, which scores the user’s interactions with her,
deepens engagement and can even unlock a NSFW mode.
Sophisticated, speedy responses make AI companions more “human” by the day –
they’re advancing quickly and they’re everywhere. Facebook, Instagram,
WhatsApp, X and Snapchat are all promoting their new integrated AI companions.
Chatbot service Character.AI houses tens of thousands of chatbots designed to
mimic certain personas and has more than 20 million monthly active users.
In a world where chronic loneliness is a public health crisis with about one in
six people worldwide affected by loneliness, it’s no surprise these
always-available, lifelike companions are so attractive.
Despite the massive rise of AI chatbots and companions, it is becoming clear
there are risks – particularly for minors and people with mental health
conditions."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
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
