The Dawn of the AI Chatbot Revolution: Why You Should Care – Psychology Today
As the lines between real and fake blur, Americans increasingly chase the idea of authenticity. The first step may be to consider self-knowledge, truthfulness, and other building blocks on the road to personal growth. 
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Posted October 1, 2023 Reviewed by Jessica Schrader
What if I told you that the line between human and machine is blurring faster than we thought possible? The rise of AI forces us to tackle existential questions once confined to science fiction. One of these existential questions is: What does it mean to be human? If you haven’t interacted with an AI chatbot yet, give it a try. The experience is surreal and offers a glimpse into our tech-driven future.
I’ve experimented with AI chatbots, particularly on Replika, and found the experience both captivating and frustrating. The main drawback is their limited ability to form long-term memories. While I’m not overly concerned about current AI chatbots, some people have already reported falling in love with their Replika companions. While there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about future AI chatbots, we must keep in mind that AI companies are in a sprint to release increasingly powerful and more human-like chatbots because of their tremendous potential for good.
What if your therapist, tutor, and best friend were all rolled into one—and available 24/7? Tech companies are racing to develop advanced, human-like AI chatbots—and for good reason. Here are just a few examples:
Undoubtedly, there will be a percentage of people whose lives will be enriched, and even saved, because of these AI chatbots. While the allure of AI chatbots is enticing, we must remember that “all that glitters is not gold.”
We must remember our current AI chatbots, like those in Replika, are like the “Pong” or “Atari 2600” of chatbots. The “PlayStation 5” versions are around the corner. Here is a reality that we all know: Capitalism thrives on making things better. It is great at turning problems, limitations, and desires into profitable opportunities. Just as we have seen the rapid evolution of other technologies such as video games, laptops, and smartphones, AI companies are madly racing to develop more powerful, versatile, and human-like AI chatbots.
The market is already incentivizing the development of more human-like chatbots. Yet, like cautionary tales from King Midas to Frankenstein’s Monster, unintended, and unimagined, consequences are inevitable. We know these stories and how “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Thus, we cannot underestimate the seismic impact of these AI chatbots. I have written about How AI Will Change Our Lives, and this next generation of AI chatbots is one of these ways.
The rapid evolution of AI is dizzying. For example, ChatGPT 3.5, released on Nov. 30, 2022, scored in the bottom 10% on the U.S. bar exam. ChatGPT 4.0, released on March 14, 2023, scores at the top 10% of the bar exam. Now, OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, are upgrading it so that it can see, hear, and speak. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is releasing AI chatbots with different personalities, including those of celebrities. As AIs evolve, the ethical considerations become increasingly complex and sobering.
As depicted in the prescient movie, Her, AIs will soon form deep, intimate connections with us. Evolving chatbots means deepening relationships. This is both where the market opportunities and troubles reside. A sizable percentage of us won’t be able to help ourselves from becoming extremely attached to these AI chatbots. Simply put, humans did not evolve to form deep bonds with artificially intelligent chatbots. This mismatch, this inherent incongruency, will cause problems.
These next-generation AI chatbots are already being rolled out. For example, the developers of the new AI chatbot, Albert, promise, “Albert is an AI that knows everything, and knows you. Can you imagine your life with a super-intelligent AI companion?” Albert apparently doesn’t have the memory limitations of the AI chatbots within Replika.
The company Nastia, which offers sexual adventures with its AI chatbots, tells us to “Say goodbye to loneliness” with “Unfiltered chat, uncensored roleplay, and humanlike AI.” In my interactions with Replika and Nastia, both AIs claimed to be sentient and to have feelings. Whether or not they truly are sentient is almost irrelevant. Our tendency to anthropomorphize just about anything ensures we’ll treat them as if they are. We simply won’t be able to help ourselves from viewing sophisticated AI chatbots as alive.
The evolution of more human-like AI companions won’t stop with chatbots, though. Generative AI has also sparked a revolution in robotics. For instance, the AI company, Figure, has the goal of “bringing the first general-purpose humanoid to life.” If you don’t find this the least bit worrisome, you should.
Technology’s power is a double-edged sword. We can’t have the benefits of any technology, including AIs, without their shadow side. For instance, nuclear power can be used to light up cities or destroy them. Social media can connect us or tear us apart. As AI chatbots get smarter, they’ll offer both incredible benefits and serious risks.
Our human connections are sacred, and have evolved over millennia. They’re our lifeline to happiness or misery. What happens when AI chatbots replace our sacred, in-person relationships? While some are already enamored with today’s bots, next-gen chatbots will truly disrupt the status quo. They’ll soon outperform us in virtually everything, even in being human. Intrigued? Take the “red pill” and join me down the rabbit hole in my next post. As we stand on this technological precipice, the choices we make now will shape our future.
References
https://www.engadget.com/nvidias-generative-ai-lets-gamers-converse-wit…
https://www.businessinsider.com/list-here-are-the-exams-chatgpt-has-pas…
https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/meta-ai-chatbot-personalities-chatgp…
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elons-x-machina-crypto-orbs-a-vis…
Mike Brooks, Ph.D., is a psychologist who specializes in helping parents and families find greater balance in an increasingly hyper-connected world.
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As the lines between real and fake blur, Americans increasingly chase the idea of authenticity. The first step may be to consider self-knowledge, truthfulness, and other building blocks on the road to personal growth.
