Any of y'all ever had an AI "friend " on Replica or another platform?

[raccoon]

I started to set up one, but then I decided I wanted to hear some input from other people
First.

I have to say it started to kind of creep me out. I guess I’ve read too much science fiction and horror.

[highplainsdem]

1. The problems aren't anything like science fiction and horror stories. There are two main problems:

A lot of people become emotionally dependent on chatbots, which is not at all healthy. Not just because that can actually increase isolation, but because your new chatbot friend is a product of a company that can change the chatbot's behavior at any time, or go out of business. People who've become dependent on these chatbots says it feels like losing a human friend if they change radically or disappear.

And these companies are data mining. Whatever they might say, what you confide in the chatbot is likely to be used not only by that company but third parties they're likely to sell the data to.

Just remembered another problem. Some of these companies use the chatbots to pressure customers to pay that company more, upgrade the chatbot.

I've never wanted to set up one of these chatbots as a fake friend, but I've read a lot of articles about them and posted some here.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217969579

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218157999

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219266261

[raccoon]

2. Thanks!