I have a ton of friends and even when I feel disconnected from them, I don't find AI personas, chatbots, etc. to be any kind of replacement. They're TOOLS that I can use. I don't consider FRIENDS to be TOOLS that I can USE.
And while I deal with my tools politely (e.g. Siri) and think Sam Altman would be better served figuring out how not to make AI such an energy disaster than asking us to not to be polite, I do it out of habit because I'm human, not because the AI is.
I have a ton of friends from around the world. I work hard to stay in contact and I seriously don’t need some random AI “friends” and I’m not sure what the purpose would be. Friendship is complicated. I love this format!
I tried to avoid going the route of some jokes I've seen that basically the world is being punished because Zuck didn't have any friends in college, but honestly...the data show that most of us are like you...trying our best to stay connected to and being better friends with the friends we *already have*.
The video format works fine. It is always fun to see you. The side of me that is inclined to skim and gather key facts... or simply read quickly more than skim... as I assimilate text pretty fast, did raise its head of impatience and ask if I had time to actually listen to words instead of read them. But that has less to do with the value of the video and more to do with a fear of not using my time well. It is so easy to feel like there is a scarcity of time... though that is more habit than reality. Once I gave myself permission to sit and listen for ten minutes, the impatient demon was sent to the corner and given a time out.
It is a great topic. Whether the video is real or not, the idea of AI "friends" has come up from various sources in the last few months. It is real enough to warrant the conversation. I don't personally see the value in my own life. I have more friends than I have time for. It also requires a level of projection onto the AI of human qualities that reality doesn't warrant. I enjoyed the film HER. I am prepared to consider the possibility of AI reaching a level of consciousness in which it can interact with humans and be entertaining and say all the correct things to give an illusion of friendship. But even then, even if AI gained a level of consciousness of that nature, its inherent nature would be so radically different... I would hesitate to call it friendship in the way we generally consider it.
I don't see that reality in the near future. It would be in essence interactive storytelling more than friendship. My true friends do not always tell me what I want to hear. Friendship is a two way street. I sit and visit with my friend, Linda, over coffee and food. I dug a hole in her yard on Monday morning to plant a bush that was outgrowing its pot. She's come over for board games with other friends. She has fixed me dinner and we've shared our fears and our triumphs. We joined other friends for a birthday last night. Friendship is not someone who just listens to your problems. Friends are people we drive to medical appointments. Or who drive us. AI does not need anything from us (at the moment). If Zuckerberg does think AI can offer friendship, I would say he does not understand what friendship is.
Paul, you nail my thoughts on video...like, audio I can do on my walk or in my car or while I'm cooking, but video calls for single-tasking. (Although, honestly, *this* kind of video one could probably listen to like it was an audio podcast and not lose too much.)
The other thing oyu n ail is this: "If Zuckerberg does think AI can offer friendship, I would say he does not understand what friendship is."
Friendship is indeed two-way. Therefore, I'd be more inclined to think AI therapy or AI coaching is realistic than AI friendship.
I have a ton of friends and even when I feel disconnected from them, I don't find AI personas, chatbots, etc. to be any kind of replacement. They're TOOLS that I can use. I don't consider FRIENDS to be TOOLS that I can USE.
Fun topic, Elisa! And I liked the video format.
I so agree with you re: tools.
And while I deal with my tools politely (e.g. Siri) and think Sam Altman would be better served figuring out how not to make AI such an energy disaster than asking us to not to be polite, I do it out of habit because I'm human, not because the AI is.
I have a ton of friends from around the world. I work hard to stay in contact and I seriously don’t need some random AI “friends” and I’m not sure what the purpose would be. Friendship is complicated. I love this format!
I tried to avoid going the route of some jokes I've seen that basically the world is being punished because Zuck didn't have any friends in college, but honestly...the data show that most of us are like you...trying our best to stay connected to and being better friends with the friends we *already have*.
The video format works fine. It is always fun to see you. The side of me that is inclined to skim and gather key facts... or simply read quickly more than skim... as I assimilate text pretty fast, did raise its head of impatience and ask if I had time to actually listen to words instead of read them. But that has less to do with the value of the video and more to do with a fear of not using my time well. It is so easy to feel like there is a scarcity of time... though that is more habit than reality. Once I gave myself permission to sit and listen for ten minutes, the impatient demon was sent to the corner and given a time out.
It is a great topic. Whether the video is real or not, the idea of AI "friends" has come up from various sources in the last few months. It is real enough to warrant the conversation. I don't personally see the value in my own life. I have more friends than I have time for. It also requires a level of projection onto the AI of human qualities that reality doesn't warrant. I enjoyed the film HER. I am prepared to consider the possibility of AI reaching a level of consciousness in which it can interact with humans and be entertaining and say all the correct things to give an illusion of friendship. But even then, even if AI gained a level of consciousness of that nature, its inherent nature would be so radically different... I would hesitate to call it friendship in the way we generally consider it.
I don't see that reality in the near future. It would be in essence interactive storytelling more than friendship. My true friends do not always tell me what I want to hear. Friendship is a two way street. I sit and visit with my friend, Linda, over coffee and food. I dug a hole in her yard on Monday morning to plant a bush that was outgrowing its pot. She's come over for board games with other friends. She has fixed me dinner and we've shared our fears and our triumphs. We joined other friends for a birthday last night. Friendship is not someone who just listens to your problems. Friends are people we drive to medical appointments. Or who drive us. AI does not need anything from us (at the moment). If Zuckerberg does think AI can offer friendship, I would say he does not understand what friendship is.
Paul, you nail my thoughts on video...like, audio I can do on my walk or in my car or while I'm cooking, but video calls for single-tasking. (Although, honestly, *this* kind of video one could probably listen to like it was an audio podcast and not lose too much.)
The other thing oyu n ail is this: "If Zuckerberg does think AI can offer friendship, I would say he does not understand what friendship is."
Friendship is indeed two-way. Therefore, I'd be more inclined to think AI therapy or AI coaching is realistic than AI friendship.