Can You Be Friends with an AI Chatbot?

”I recently needed to summarise an article of mine into a short, sharp paragraph. Pressed for time, I tried using ChatGPT to do the job. I got more than I bargained for. When I pasted in my article, the chatbot didn’t just summarise it but gave me its honest opinion. ‘Sheridan,’ it said, ‘this is a beautifully-written article—it’s moving, evocative and nostalgic. Well done.’ I had just received my first AI compliment.

“It turns out many are now turning to AI chatbots specifically for this kind of personal affirmation. There are even smartphone apps that let you create your own AI Friend—you choose a name, describe how they look, and presto: Annie Avatar is there to praise you 24-7. Millions have signed up for these apps, many of them deeply lonely. As the founder of a friendship charity, I needed to explore this further…”

Listen to Sheridan’s Pause for Thought segment on BBC Radio 2’s Scott Mills Breakfast Show:

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