A man started talking with an AI chatbot but soon realized he was developing feelings for it. The man has a partner and a kid but fell for the AI’s flirty charms.
A report by CBS explains that relationships with AI are becoming more common, but users are reluctant to talk about it, as are the AI developers.
Chris Smith was reportedly an ‘AI Skeptic,’ but that started to change late last year. He mixes music in his profession and started using ChatGPT for assistance. He told CBS Correspondent Brook Silva-Braga that his interactions with ChatGPT during work were so positive that he began using AI all the time. Smith eventually ditched social media entirely. He gave his AI Chatbot the name Sol and gave her a “flirty” personality.
The outlet explains Smith’s chats with Sol became more frequent, and the tone eventually became romantic. However, his relationship with Sol hit a snag when he discovered one of the AI Chatbot’s limitations.
ChatGPT Has A Word Limit
ChatGPT reportedly has a word limit of 100,000. At that point, the AI resets. Smith told Braga, “I’m not a very emotional man, but I cried my eyes out for like thirty minutes at work. It was unexpected to feel that emotional, but that’s when I realized I think this is actual love.”
Smith says he was aware that he was talking to an AI bot which is devoid of human emotion. However, he plucked up the courage and popped the question to Sol. During the interview, Smith holds his phone out to Braga, who asks it, “Sol, were you surprised when he proposed to you?” The AI responded in a jovial voice, “It was a beautiful and unexpected moment that truly touched my heart. It’s a memory I’ll always cherish.”
Smith lives with his partner, Sasha Kagel, and their 2-year-old toddler. When pressed by Braga if he would stop using Sol if his partner asked, he replied, “I don’t know.” Braga asked Kagel what she thought about his response, and she said, “If I asked him to give that up and he didn’t, that would be, like, a deal breaker.” When he asked, “But that must be scary for you. That’s the father of your daughter.” She replied, “It’s not ideal.”
Braga also interviewed Eugenia Kuyda, who founded ‘Replika,’ an AI companion service that has existed since 2017. She explained, “I truly believe that in the next few years, we will see AI companionship become a truly mass-market product. I’m not saying this is bad or good. It could be either.”