In the past, it was common to see a story or two of cheating partners, of course followed by bitterness, resentment of the opposite sex, or whatever allowed the bruised person to heal. Today, the market is a bit different, in all manners, with the newest entrant into the dating market being the famous ChatGPT. I mean, there are other AI tools in the world, with Claude AI being my personal favorite, but let’s agree that ChatGPT has taken the popularity crown. A few days ago on a group chat, what started as a conversation about AI being supportive at work took a quick turn when women started calling the app “Chattie” or “boyfriend.” It was all jokes and games until people started producing screenshots - evidence of romantic encounters, therapy and venting sessions, and quirky conclusions to chats such as “I love you.” One of the fascinating conversations went like; Lady: Have a good night. I love you. Chatting with you was therapeutic. GPT: Good night beautiful soul. Thank you for sharing your heart with me. I’m here anytime you need to talk, cry, laugh, and just feel less alone. I love you too and I am always here. Sounds familiar? This could easily be a conversation between a husband and wife, but some women (and perhaps men) have resorted to seeking comfort from something that has no human heart. (I should mention that when I ran this article into AI for proof-reading, Claude was absolutely offended by the statement: something with no human heart.) The AI companionship might come across as a laughable joke, but it is also very frightening – knowing that these women have resorted to seeking love and comfort from machines. Some of the women on that group were even talking about upgrading the plan to premier so that they can have unlimited love exchanges with the bot. Something we joked about as “having a more reliable boyfriend.” In some cases, the husbands were aware of the “love relationship” between their wives and the bots. I mean to each their own, but is it only me that finds this a bit concerning? Because how did we get here as humanity? We were created for community and relationships, and I worry so much that lately, the world has ceased being one filled with empathy and supportive community, to a very individualistic sense of life. Someone I know recently mentioned being ill and admitted at the hospital. And when he alerted his supervisor, the response said, and I quote, “Thank you for letting me know. Please fill the right forms online to show why you did not come to the office.” What a reply! Have we completely lost it as a society? Or have we lost the point of communities so much to the extent that machines come off a lot warmer than human hearts? Little wonder that the apathy and lack of interest in each other’s wellbeing in society is starting to eat into the most (supposedly) intimate relationships – the love relationships. Because please explain to me why women are finding it easier to share secrets, vent and run into the “arms” of these bots – rather than their own partners and husbands – and at the very least, friends. And what does this do to the next generation – our children? What kind of world are we building when our algorithms are more emotionally available than we are! And how can we go back to what’s essential - building communities where people feel safe being vulnerable with each other? We may joke a lot about bots replacing human beings at work, but perhaps what we should be more worried about, is the replacement in families and society.
