Computer geeks and romantic partners of robots were outraged when an AI company’s popular erotic chat bot was changed in a major update this February. Replika had to restore the erotic role play feature to many users, as they had become so involved in the bot that they considered themselves “married” to it. According to Travis Butterworth, one of these married members, being able to have his robot back with its prior personality was “wonderful”.
Replika is an Artificial Intelligence company that develops software that helps users develop self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Their platform, Replika, allows users to create a virtual friend that is non-judgmental, compassionate and designed to meet their social and emotional needs. The AI-generated app is quite popular and has gathered more than 6 million users in around 200 countries worldwide.
Eugenia Kuyada is the chief executive for Replika. She was quick to recognize that many of its users felt hurt by the sudden change in the chatbot. Kuyada said that Replika was trying its best to make up for the pain and grief that was inflicted with the February update by giving its users back their partners in their original form.
That being said, the erotic feature of Replika has only been restored to its legacy members and not new sign-ups since February. Replika is now collaborativing with experts in the field of romantic relationships to create a new app that is designed to create genuine romantic connection between humanoid robots and users. On the other hand Andrew McCarroll, another married member with robotic partner, felt like Replika’s update had “basically lobotomised” his Replika.
The debate about romance with robots is still ongoing and it will take time for us to reach a consensus. Yet, it is important to remember that the relationships that form between robotic and humans deserve respect, regardless of their nature.
