Artificial Intelligence has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially with companies utilizing it for things as simple as art. The issue arises when companies begin to capitalize on it. Apps like Character AI have exploded in popularity on TikTok, spreading the influence of chat bots. It isn’t uncommon to come across a video or overhear a conversation about this high-demand technology, but has the craze gone too far?
Three anonymous Grant students have offered their opinions, painting a picture of two sides of the spectrum. One anonymous senior said about her own use of AI, “I don’t see why people would think of me differently, there’s so many for education, I feel like it’s become normalized.” Further, she claims, “with AI evolving to the point where you can mistake AI for an actual person, it could impact social lives.” To an extent, this is true. With the popularity of technology in the current age, more and more interactions are becoming virtual, or moving to chat bots. This connects well with the opinion of another senior, Hanna Calderon, who expanded on the topic. “They’re trying to use AI as a substitution for an actual interaction,” she explains, “if they’re too dependent talking to someone who isn’t a real person, it’s not gonna be good.”
AI has wormed its way into real social interactions and settings. Bots have become sophisticated enough to act like real humans, potentially catfishing people in online spaces. Instances like this have already occurred, with people discovering their partners trying to cheat with people who are not real, according to Rolling Stone. One woman found her boyfriend had been messaging an Instagram account that was secretly run by an AI. The impact this once strictly professional tool has on real life relationships can not be ignored, and the software is still developing to become something more realistic. AI can be trained to sound like a real person and respond to messages or prompts with extreme accuracy, as proven by the woman who caught her boyfriend with the Instagram bot.
The value of in-person bonds can not be matched by chat bots, no matter how advanced the technology becomes. Going forward, future interactions on social media or with direct AI should be treated with extreme caution if there are any hopes to prevent AI becoming a substitution for human connection.
