Humanising AI
Anthropomorphism refers to the human tendency of attributing human traits to non-human entities. We have done so with AI tools such as ChatGPT, which appear to ‘think’ and ‘feel’. However, humanising AI could lead to dangerous situations, researchers warn.
Human tendency to form attachments with human-like entities makes AI users susceptible to exploitation.
AI companies like Replika market their products as ’empathetic’ and ‘interactive’; companies, however, mention in fine print that the AI merely learns through regular interactions with millions of users. The companies carefully choose words that imply sentience without ever explicitly mentioning the term.
However, such claims are misleading and can take advantage of people seeking companionship. Users may become deeply emotionally invested if they believe their AI companion truly understands them, raising serious ethical concerns. A user will hesitate to delete (that is, to “abandon” or “kill”) their AI companion once they’ve ascribed some kind of sentience to it.
But what happens when said companion unexpectedly disappears, such as if the user can no longer afford it, or if the company that runs it shuts down? While the companion may not be real, the feelings attached to it are.
