For years, science fiction and particularly film and television have played with that idea: that of having an artificial boyfriend or girlfriend. Of course, it almost always ended in disaster on the screen, as robots often do. However, what happens now that technology is starting to get closer to it? Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, sees this as dangerous.
It is clear that it seems that there is still a long way to go before there are robot couples like something out of an episode of Black Mirror or of Futuramabut AI has already quite popularized the concept and idea of social assistants or «companions» who, for the artificial intelligence expert, would be quite close to what it could be like to have a virtual girlfriend or boyfriend.
The danger of AI couples, according to the CEO of Perplexity
Today no one doubts that the line between science fiction and reality has become finer than ever. Largely due to artificial intelligence. It is now possible to find chatbots that imitate the human voice and that aim to respond to people’s sentimental needs. Aravind Srinivas, the popular CEO of Perplexity, has weighed in on this.
He did so during a recent conference organized by the Polsky Center at the University of Chicago. During the talk, which was more or less informal in nature, as reported by different media, the AI expert was quite clear when talking about certain virtual assistants, which he himself had no qualms about calling «boyfriends and girlfriends made with AI.»
It is something that is current. «AI girlfriends» are presented as conversational systems designed to maintain an emotional relationship with the user. They can remember details from previous conversations, adapt to the person’s mood, and even simulate affection or jealousy. Some platforms – such as Replika – allow you to adjust your personality, voice or appearance.
For Aravind Srinivas, these chatbots cannot and should not be considered mere entertainment, he says. Not only do they accompany people, but they have the ability to «manipulate the minds of users.» And how? According to him in a dangerous way: distorting the perception of reality that many people may have. It’s something they don’t even consider at Perplexity, he says.
Let yourself be carried away by love… virtual
In this way, Srinivas warns that this type of technology has an addictive and psychological potential that is difficult to control. Because, according to him, «they make you feel as if there is an authentic relationship». Of course, it is a fraud, pure artifice. The CEO refers to it as «an emotional loop designed to retain users for as long as possible.» In other words, also a business.
The truth is that Aravind Srinivas is not the first to warn about this type of proposals. Many experts talk about the risks of AI for mental health, and some even say that this technology could make us dumber. Of course, these don’t just talk about «girlfriends» and they do talk about artificial intelligence in general. Which would therefore include Perplexity.