Feb 09, 2024 - 09:34
By asianews.network

Should you get an AI girlfriend?

February 5, 2024

MANILA – The air is chilly and the season is now for being lovey-dovey, but you still haven’t found a partner. Search on dating apps, and you only get swiped left, “left” alone with no one to hold. Eventually, you stumble upon a strange trend: AI girlfriends. You can have an app that will simulate the personality of your ideal romantic partner!

Should you take this option as you’re left with no other choices? After all, more people are downloading and settling for this option. However, digging deeper will reveal a more troubling trend, a technology burying more and more young men into depression and isolation. Learn more about it, and the “ideal” may not be as appealing as the “real.”

How did AI girlfriends start?

AI girlfriends became popular shortly after the popular chatbot ChatGPT took the world by storm. However, the concept may have started much earlier.

In 2018, Akihiko Kondo became famous for marrying the fictional character Hatsune Miku. She’s a computer-synthesized pop singer voice with a virtual avatar.

He told the New York Times their relationship started in 2008 when he was struggling with depression. His female coworkers often bullied him, growing his distrust of women.

You may also like: How to use the ChatGPT Android app

Eventually, that led him to seek solace in the fictional character. In 2017, he purchased a Gatebox, a $1,300 machine that enabled owners to interact with characters via holograms.

Nowadays, you only need your smartphone to have a similar relationship. You can download apps like Replika, Soulmate, and Character.AI to create your ideal partner. They let you choose the avatar’s appearance, personality, and even sexual desires.