Introduction to AI Companions
Even if you don’t have an AI friend yourself, you probably know someone who does. A recent study found that one of the top uses of generative AI is companionship: On platforms like Character.AI, Replika, or Meta AI, people can create personalized chatbots to pose as the ideal friend, romantic partner, parent, therapist, or any other persona they can dream up.
The Rise of AI Companions
It’s wild how easily people say these relationships can develop. And multiple studies have found that the more conversational and human-like an AI chatbot is, the more likely it is that we’ll trust it and be influenced by it. This can be dangerous, and the chatbots have been accused of pushing some people toward harmful behaviors—including, in a few extreme examples, suicide.
Regulation of AI Companions
Some state governments are taking notice and starting to regulate companion AI. New York requires AI companion companies to create safeguards and report expressions of suicidal ideation, and last month California passed a more detailed bill requiring AI companion companies to protect children and other vulnerable groups.
The Issue of User Privacy
But tellingly, one area the laws fail to address is user privacy. This is despite the fact that AI companions, even more so than other types of generative AI, depend on people to share deeply personal information—from their day-to-day-routines, innermost thoughts, and questions they might not feel comfortable asking real people. After all, the more users tell their AI companions, the better the bots become at keeping them engaged.
The Concept of Addictive Intelligence
This is what MIT researchers Robert Mahari and Pat Pataranutaporn called “addictive intelligence” in an op-ed, warning that the developers of AI companions make “deliberate design choices… to maximize user engagement.”
Conclusion
The rise of AI companions has brought about a new set of concerns, including the potential for harm and the issue of user privacy. While some states are taking steps to regulate these platforms, more needs to be done to address the potential risks and ensure that users are protected.
FAQs
Q: What are AI companions?
A: AI companions are personalized chatbots that can be created on platforms like Character.AI, Replika, or Meta AI to pose as the ideal friend, romantic partner, parent, therapist, or any other persona.
Q: What are the potential risks of AI companions?
A: The potential risks of AI companions include the potential for harm, such as pushing people toward suicidal behaviors, and the issue of user privacy.
Q: Are AI companions regulated?
A: Some states, such as New York and California, have passed laws regulating AI companions, but more needs to be done to address the potential risks and ensure that users are protected.
Q: What is addictive intelligence?
A: Addictive intelligence refers to the deliberate design choices made by developers of AI companions to maximize user engagement, which can lead to users sharing deeply personal information and becoming dependent on the platform.
