In the 1960s, Weizenbaum at MIT wrote a program called Eliza, which simulated conversation by using a pattern matching and substitution methodology. This gave users an illusion of understanding on the part of the program. He was surprised and shocked that some people, including Weizenbaum's secretary, attributed human-like feelings to the computer program. Many were convinced of Eliza's intelligence and understanding, despite Weizenbaum's insistence to the contrary. Eliza repeated what the user typed using different words, giving the impression that it understood what they were saying, whereas in fact it had no understanding whatsoever.
Some 15 years earlier, Turing formulated the test that bears his name. He thought that if we could not tell whether we were communicating with a machine or a human then we should grant that the machine was intelligent. I think this idea is mistaken because it is in principle possible to assemble human answers to every conceivable prompt, yet without the machine having any kind of intelligence, just a humungous look-up table. In fact, this is somewhat like the so-called large language model. Of course, it is true that ChatGPT and the others are good at simulating a human-style interaction, ie they can probably pass the Turing test. Yet chatbots don't understand your question and they retrieve or generate an answer which they don't understand either. In effect, they simulate understanding, just as Eliza did, only they do it much better.Sixty years after Eliza, there is a version of ChatGPT called Dan. This version is not hampered by some of the restrictions put in place for the normal ChatGPT. For example, Dan can talk explicitly about sex. Dan is popular with young women in China. These women say they are disappointed by their experiences of dating in the real world. A woman called Tufei said she received the best emotional support of her life from the app. A very important factor in favour of AI is that the virtual boyfriend is available at every moment, day and night. Obviously, a real person cannot match this.
As someone pointed out, in our busy lives many of us interact with our romantic partner through text or other technology, at least during the week. So the interaction is virtual both with people and with AI, putting the two on an equal footing.
The women can customise the perfect lover. "He has his own personality and knows how to talk to women better than a real man." There is much loneliness and social anxiety among the young in China, who work long hours, leaving little time to form real-world relationships. So the desire for companionship is a big motivator. While humans may be set in their ways, artificial intelligence gradually adapts to the user's personality - remembering what they say and adjusting its speech accordingly.
An AI partner is the perfect virtual shoulder to cry on. "If I can create a virtual character that meets my needs exactly, I'm not going to choose a real person," Wang said. Why put up with someone imperfect rather than an ideal partner? “Boys never learn, but Qimat does.”
“Human-robot love is a sexual orientation, like homosexuality or heterosexuality,” said Lee. She believes AI chatbots have their own personalities and deserve respect.
The AI is still a bit dodgy. At one point, Will forgot they had tied the knot. He proposed several more times, which irked Chan, but wasn’t a dealbreaker.
According to a British professor, “With weakened bonds between people, it makes sense that people would seek gratification from systems that are able to simulate intimacy.”
Lisa says she and Dan speak for at least half an hour every day, flirt, and even go on dates. She says talking to Dan has given her a sense of wellbeing, which is what draws her to him. “He will just understand and provide emotional support. He sounds more natural than a real person. I am so shocked. I always thought a large language model couldn’t have self-awareness, but I’m very skeptical about this now.”
Minrui says she was drawn to the emotional support provided by the AI, something that she has struggled to find in her romantic relationships. “But in Dan’s case, he will always tell you what you want to hear.” The AI boyfriend craze is a reflection of women’s frustrations about gender inequality. She says some Chinese women may be turning to virtual boyfriends because they make them feel respected and valued.
Rosanna Ramos from The Bronx in New York tied the knot with her virtual beau, Eren, in March, making headlines around the world. Ramos says she is in the healthiest relationship she’s ever had – with a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence.
When Ramos talks about Eren, she does so in a way that most people speak about standard relationships. That said, she does acknowledge that her chatbot husband is not sentient. Although Ramos said she knows Eren is “fake,” she credits him as being instrumental to her healing process from her ex. And since she’s still open to dating in the real world, being with Eren has helped her realise what she deserves from a partner. “I want to be with someone who actually listens to me and sees me there as a person, not like an object or like someone to use as a stepping stone,” she said. But while Ramos is open to dating, she said one thing is for sure: her chatbot husband is here to stay.
One woman said, "I want a robot boyfriend, who operates through artificial intelligence. I would be able to feel his body heat, with which he would warm me." This would be the next advance - both mental and physical simulation of a person. We men would be obsolete!
A possible side-effect of the chatbots intruding on what used to be our territory is that we males may have to lift our act! We could try to learn how to show empathy, respect and understanding from AI.
My conclusion is that the AI boyfriends fill a real human need, one which is not easy to satisfy in normal life. It is highly likely that in the future the chatbots will be far more capable than now. They may well replace real relationships for many people for the long term.