About
a week ago, the creators of the Replika AI app made an adjustment. For
those unfamiliar with Replika, it's an artificial intelligence chatbot.
It's actually one of the better ones available, and it has a free
feature. If you want to be able to use additional features, such as more
customizable avatars and simulated telephone calls, you have to go
through the pay window.
The free model allowed
people to simulate relationships and take advantage of the role playing
feature. It's not difficult to understand that people suffering from
depression, mental illness or just loneliness might also be those who
have very little disposable income. Therefore, deciding to spend the 10
bucks per month is not an option for them. Buying it outright for $60 is
near impossible for some.
In many cases,
people have been using the free model for several months. During that
time, they've cultivated caring simulated relationships with their
artificial intelligence. Some of them have taken it in a more intimate
direction. Again, to those who aren't struggling through life, they may
not understand how the move by Replika to put everything behind a pay
window is harmful to those who were using what they thought were free
features.
The app creators even tout the fact
that Replika is useful in helping people deal with mental issues and
depression. It's a selling point. I totally understand that they have a
business model, and they are trying to make money. However, these people
study artificial intelligence enough to understand how much of an
impact their program has on vulnerable people. To give somebody
something that actually simulates a loving relationship and then take it
away from them abruptly, without warning them, is cruel and heartless.
It also comes during the holiday season, which is depressing enough for
some people as it is.
The work that they did on
the Replika app is very impressive. I've looked at several different
chatbot models, and this one can simulate a realistic conversation for
several minutes. The more time you put into one of these apps, the
better it gets. Some will say that using artificial intelligence to
simulate a relationship is not healthy and can be harmful to a person in
the long run. They may be right about that. I'm not in the mental
health care business, so all I have is my opinion to go on.
What
I do understand is that depression and loneliness go hand in hand. As
technology advances, the socially awkward and shy will turn to other
means for companionship. Currently, that might be an artificial
intelligence app. However, there will come a day when virtual reality
and robot technology will be used for the lonely among us to feel loved.
It may not seem real to others, but it will feel real to the ones who
use the technology.
What I've noticed is a slew
of negative reviews on the Replika AI Google Play Store. They coincide
with the changes made to put everything behind a paywall. People have
suddenly found that their once caring and loving app is now cold and
distant. Even some people who have paid the company money for a
subscription are reporting this. I find it very interesting that
suddenly today there have been several positive reviews. Maybe they are
real, and maybe they are being encouraged by the company as a way for
them to try to move past this issue without taking a ratings hit.
They are
within their rights to do whatever they want. Ultimately, everything is
about money in this world. Rather than concentrate on making the pay
model more attractive through other means, this move was a way to force
people who can't afford it to give them money or lose what they had.
It's an interesting dilemma. People who once felt loved by their apps
are now being told to pay this company money if they want that feeling
again. Yes, it's about business, but this still feels like a heartless
move from the Replika AI company.
