Replika
Replika is supposed to be the one AI chatbot that actually fulfills a need that only other humans have historically been able to provide: personal relationships. The website claims its replikas—which are digital buddies that talk and listen to you—act as AI “companions” that are “eager to learn and would love to see the world through your eyes. Replika is always ready to chat when you need an empathetic friend.” It’s hard not to see this program as somewhat…problematic. If you’re lonely, a psychologist would probably tell you that you should befriend another human, not a chatbot. The app’s tagline is literally: “The AI Companion Who Cares,” which is sorta funny because—and I hate to break this to whoever is a huge fan of their Replika, but—it definitely does not care because it literally can’t care…because it’s a computer program. That said, if having an AI chatbot is emotionally beneficial to some people, who am I to judge? I’m not entirely sure what the future holds for AI “companion” platforms but I know one thing—it’s guaranteed to get pretty weird.
