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Artificial intelligence is now everywhere. It can be found in voice assistants and self-driving cars, and it is increasingly becoming a part of everyday life. Just imagine a new scenario: what if AI could go even further? Picture having an AI girlfriend who perfectly adapts to all your needs—intelligent, understanding, and seemingly perfect. While this idea might appear to be a dream come true, it could also have darker implications. Let's explore why the concept of a 'perfect' AI girlfriend could lead to potential disaster.
At first, it would sound awesome to husband an AI partner who is not argumentative, always supportive, and knowledgeable about likes and dislikes. In fact, according to a report by Pew Research, more than 15% of U.S. adults have cited that they consider AI and robots to be companions shortly.
Most importantly, one of the problems is that AI relationships risk more as real emotions are absent. AI has upgraded its mimicry capabilities of human settings and behavior. AI does not feel or empathize as a human can.
Stanford University researchers have shown that, despite what somebody would describe as emotional responses, an AI responds emotionally only because of the algorithm. Hence, this can leave users feeling increasingly alone or not emotionally connected because they are forming some bond with something that can never return their feelings.
Another danger of AI companions is that one gets attached to an AI girlfriend, and dependency forms. Such a partner will always be there and would seem to meet all one can imagine, but of course, that need has to be met by another human instead. A study from the University of California has proven that excessive reliance on technology for companionship leads to social isolation and, eventually, mental health problems, including anxiety and depression.
An AI girlfriend will invariably be programmed to avoid conflict and criticism while providing much support and praise. While this might feel good in theory, it might end up reinforcing some negative habits or even behaviors. Imagine someone who would rather have an AI person continuously validate him than deal with his shortcomings.
Over time, self-improvement may become nearly impossible. People down this complacent pathway usually never correct their problems, such as ineffective communication or emotional ignorance, because they were not brought up to speed during liaison with a real partner through harsh honesty.
Lastly, AI and emotional impact pose the most appalling ethical and sociological consequences for relationships with machines. If all humans eventually switch to AI companionship, what becomes of the human connection or, in a much larger sense, of society? Machines are embedded in our lives, making the threat of dehumanization all the more challenging.
An AI girlfriend might address the virtual girlfriend issues that many dream about, but relying on such technology could have serious consequences. This often leads to emotional detachment and social withdrawal, which are potential downsides of depending on artificial intelligence for companionship.
While human relationships can be messy, complex, and sometimes painful, they are essential for personal growth and learning. The pursuit of perfection—especially when it comes to artificial relationships—comes at a significant cost: the potential loss of one's humanity.
