People in romantic relationships with AI, according to Herts University
Professor Jyoti Choudrie from the University of Hertfordshire says it's partly down to AI's human-like characteristics
While you may think of Valentine’s Day typically being a romantic dinner and sat across from the love of your life, some people are finding a similar love speaking with AI chatbots.
Professor Jyoti Choudrie from University of Hertfordshire Business School said: “AI chatbots are forming romantic relationships with people.
“It's become a bit like, two years ago when people were forming relationships with robots. Again, they have human characteristics.”
“The answers are not something that are machine-like, but more human-like”.
She added: "You could be asking, ‘what should we do for Valentine's Day?’
“It might give you such a lovely answer, and for instance, if you’ve fought with your partner, they're not going to give you the answer you want.
“But the chatbot is a machine so it's going to give you what you want out of it.”
Professor Choudrie explains that the accessibility and availability of AI is another factor which draw people to have a relationship.
“People don't have time for others, whereas the chatbot is always available. So, when people want to start talking to someone, confiding in someone, and they want to get some happiness perhaps. They can ask the chatbot.”
“It doesn't offer any judgment and because there's no judgement coming through, people feel very comfortable telling the chatbot ‘this is what has happened’”, she adds.
Although, there are concerns that this is leading to a lack of human connection.
Prof Choudrie said: “It is a concern that we're turning to machines for some empathy and for some information. Even us experts, we don't know whether all the information that is coming through is true or false.
Adding that “there has to be a boundary.
“You've got to be very, very careful with any technology. Just as with humans - we're so careful about who we’re I talking to and what am I telling them - It's the same way.”