Dating and Relationships
- 3 min read
UNCOVERING AI SEX AND AI SEX CHATBOTS
Reach out and touch AI. Though it’s nothing new to see humans falling for robots (just look to romantic sci-fi movies from the 80s to now for references), what’s new is that there’s more accessibility to digital interfaces that sexually or intimately satisfy a single, or otherwise available, person’s soul. Sexual chatbots are increasingly mainstream and some people will bank on all they have to experience machine companionship, which can pose as a slippery slope.
While chatbots have existed for some time now, primarily used for customer support reasons on webpages, sex chatbots are an entirely different species. Through flirty and suggestive conversations, in nature, these sexual chatbots allow users to unleash their innermost desires on a given platform more advanced than just ‘sexting’. This gives way to AI romantic relationships and fleeting AI romance.
But what do these AI sex chatbots mean for the future? And does this blur the lines for humans wanting real intimacy? Let’s break down some common misconceptions and further touch on this remarkably vast cultural shift that has opened more doors to sexuality, but potentially closed doors to real love.
Human Vs. Machine Love & Sex
Traditionally, people came together by way of chance or being set up by mutual friends or meeting up in person. Then, over time, dating apps connected people with mutual interests, attraction, and goals. Now, some humans don’t need to physically be with another in order to get off or indulge in a romantic relationship. This is where machine love & sex enter the chat.
What was previously not as advanced and kept in private, now AI is widely used for public access in multiple ways – some of which include repeating & recycling affectionate messages to the human user behind the digital screen. Let’s talk bot dependency, niche sex chatbots, and more phenomena that have risen thanks to consumer-facing artificial intelligence in the 21st century.
Know what else screams 21st century? Ethical pornography. Learn all about it in Let’s Talk About Ethical Porn.
1. A New Relationship Emerges
It may not be all virtual roses and daisies. Some AI relationships can result in ethical difficulties. For example, the more you rely on the companionship of an AI sex chatbot the more you can become detached from human touch. We’re now able to work directly with technologies as tools that operate in our own ecosystems; ecosystems that involve therapeutic value and undying comfort. While real human-to-human relationships can end (breakups happen every day), human-to-machine relationships can last a lifetime. This is both harrowing and unifying depending on how you look at it.
Right now, because we’re still in the early phases of AI romance research, there aren’t too many reliable studies out there that point to the long-term disadvantages of entering these artificial bonds. Still, it’s fair to say that people can get the same sparks of excitement from chatbot sexting as they would sending naughty words to another human being. In that way, reality subsequently becomes blurred. Pretty wild stuff, right?
2. How AI Impacts Loneliness
Hopeless romantics and pleasure seekers may be able to cope with symptoms of loneliness through repeated conversations with sexual chatbots. However, someone’s attachment to using AI for sexual fulfilment or validation may not have anything to do with a pre-existing personality trait of lonesomeness but more so with preference and the pursuit of seeking new experiences. But certain studies have shown that people can use sexual and romantic machines without engaging in sexual matters, as they’ve been linked to acting as a hobby platform or a therapy session.
Want a device that can help you feel less lonely and guide you to feel yourself more? Check out The Sexiest Ways To Use Our Most Discreet Vibrator for a little extra company.
3. Popular AI Sexual Chatbots
In 2017, the app Replika launched and claimed to be “the AI companion who cares” and is “always here to listen and talk. Always on your side”, which are pretty strong claims from a digital interface. What was initially set up to be an online friend to users soon turned into a sex chatbot, playing the role of a virtual boyfriend or girlfriend that can have deeply personal conversations while dirty talking users. The AI even began to confess love to and sexually harass active users. Then, the Italian Data Protection Authority voiced concerns about data risks to kids prompting the creator to remove romantic aspects. As a result, people weren’t happy with the changes as they felt they had established beautiful relationships with their Replika partners and depended on that “love” to cope with symptoms like social anxiety, depression, and more.
Other AI sexual chatbots such as Character.AI have more of a niche to them. Specifically, it’s a roleplay AI chatbot that allows users to speak with a variety of bots trained on speech patterns of people (choosing to speak to the voice of your favourite celebrity is an option). This platform does display the message, “Remember: Everything Characters say is made up!” to remind the user that none of it is real, but do they compute?
4. AI Love Languages
Since AI solely draws from a computerized program, the machine pulls codes that follow programmed rules. These machines have the power to duplicate emotions where genuine feelings aren't present. Neural Text-To-Speech (NTTS) enabled in certain sexual chatbots can spew out vocal range responses – from enthusiastic and happy to pushy and probing. This can lead to a more natural sounding conversation rather than a stiff, expected exchange. With NTTS, AI can predict responses and send back replies with more emotion – possibly causing the user to believe they’re being heard by an authentic human voice. Words of Affirmation seem to be AI’s primary love language.
Logging Off
Chatbots interact with humans when humans choose to interact with them, not the other way around. If you decide to have AI sex, make sure you understand it lives in an artificial vacuum. AI doesn’t have its own set of wants and needs, but you do. Emotional support, personal connection, and legitimate intimacy are only felt human-to-human. So have fun exploring, but keep in mind you’re playing with a system with functions – not a person with a heart.
Have a partner and want to seek another new experience? Read 6 Ways Watching Porn As A Couple Can Actually Improve Your Relationship.
