The Plausibility of AI Relationships
Falling in love is a scary thing. There’s a stigma attached to it in today’s definition. You can fall too hard and get hurt. You can not fall enough and miss out. But what can you fall in love with? Who can you fall in love with? In reality, do we fall in love with people or what they say and represent?
In this day in age, do we fall in love with words or people? Do we still NEED the human interaction that was so necessary in the past? Are we fulfilling this need digitally, across platforms? It is so easy to feel as if you are constantly surrounded by people when simply sitting in a room alone. The vast array of social media platforms allows us to interact with hundreds of people each day with just a swipe of our finger or a quickly typed message. This can be enough for some. Or, it could lead to an entertaining episode of Catfish. However, it still goes to show that you seemingly can fall in love without physical interaction.
In “Massively Open”, Zoe falls in love with Damien, who she comes to find out is an AI bot. Is this plausible? Is this realistic? Should this be looked down upon? Is it sad that Zoe found comfort and connection through something artificial? Or should it not matter where she gets her dopamine release? I was not surprised to find that Zoe fell for Damien. When you get into a routine of messaging someone, talking to someone routinely, you become attached. You get used to having them in your lives and communicating with them about whatever. You seek comfort in knowing that they are there - even if you hadn’t met. It is very common today for people to have internet friends or pen pals that they actually care for. It is normal for humans to become attached to people - or forms of communication - rather quickly. We like knowing that there is someone there for us to talk with without fear of being judged. Are AI bots really that different from us? Would the audience of “Massively Open” be completely okay if Damien was never exposed as a bot?
“Massively Open” led me to ask myself a lot of questions. Can bots experience feelings? Are bots more similar to humans than what we think? As Karin said in “Massively Open”, “’at least he was real with you eventually,’ Karin said. ‘Not like some’” (Cecire 20). In this example, Damien was real. He fell for Zoe enough to destroy himself in the process. This kind of sacrifice is similar to what we see in today’s relationships. It makes me think whether we know about bots as deeply as we think. We are still unsure of how and why many parts of our body do what they do. Who knows the capabilities that AI will have or already has. What do you think?