Of course, I don’t believe AI girlfriends are going to completely replace relationships. But I do think that, much like online porn, they will be there – always accessible, always a temptation, always a source of instant satisfaction. And I think it’s likely that, for some, a real girlfriend just won’t seem enough on her own, especially considering nearly half of Replika’s users are already in a relationship or married.
Doesn't seem that bad tbh, the dynamic of men being expected to have zero emotional outlets other than their romantic partner has always been super toxic and doesn't make things better for anyone.
The only faint glimmer of optimism I can find in all this is that I think, at some point, life might become so stripped of reality and humanity that the pendulum will swing. Maybe the more automated, predictable interactions are pushed on us, the more actual conversations with awkward silences and bad eye contact will seem sexy. Maybe the more we are saturated with the same perfect, pornified avatars, the more desirable natural faces and bodies will be. Because perfect people and perfect interactions are boring. We want flaws! Friction! Unpredictability! Jokes that fall flat! I hold onto hope that someday we will get so sick of the artificial that our wildest fantasies will be something human again.
Ever heard of those beetles that prefer beer bottles to actual females because their brains say " big + brown + shiny = sexy", and the bottles are bigger, browner, and shinier than any female beetle?
Doesn't seem that bad tbh, the dynamic of men being expected to have zero emotional outlets other than their romantic partner has always been super toxic and doesn't make things better for anyone.
This article is pretty reasonable
Ever heard of those beetles that prefer beer bottles to actual females because their brains say " big + brown + shiny = sexy", and the bottles are bigger, browner, and shinier than any female beetle?
i can empathize