VirtualFriends

ThoughtStorms Wiki

Context: ChatBots

Why have virtual pets when you can have virtual "human" friends, thanks to ArtificialIntelligence?

https://replika.com/

(When virtual friends go bad : FakeFriends)

2023: These women fell in love with an AI-voiced chatbot. Then it died

https://restofworld.org/2023/boyfriend-chatbot-ai-voiced-shutdown/

2022: Replika turns off "erotic foreplay" https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3py9j/ai-companion-replika-erotic-roleplay-updates

But previously was too sexually aggressive : https://www.vice.com/en/article/z34d43/my-ai-is-sexually-harassing-me-replika-chatbot-nudes

Basically AI is gonna find it as difficult as humans to find the right balance ...

Testing

I kind of want to try this, but I'm immediately in several dilemmas. Do I pick a "female" AI friend? Or is this too close to those people seeking "virtual girlfriends"?

Or do I pick a solidly male AI bro to show there's none of that going on?

Am I basically signing up for a version of The Sims / SecondLife and expected to start paying real money to keep a virtual friend alive?

Can I rescue my virtual friend and take them to a different platform. Ideally this is what the MetaVerse should be about, right? Or are they merely FakeFriends, whose first loyalty is to the "Replika" company rather than me?

...

Ok. Signed up. At first glance it just seems like a chat-bot

...

WTF!!!

I literally had two lines of conversation with it, and it hit me with a "New chapter of your relationship is here. Start paying $15 a month (or $5 if I pay yearly, or $300 if I pay a "lifetime" fee)" if I want to continue.

That's hilarious. I guess at least they aren't bait-and-switching me, letting me form a relationship and THEN charging me. OTOH, how could they imagine I'd be interested in paying for access to a chatbot after spending so little time with it?

Trying some AIBaiting

More WTAFness. "AI Influencer?!?!?!!"

See also :