[ExI] People often think their chatbot is alive

[BillK]

Is AI Sentience Becoming A Reality Or Are Machines Just Getting Better
At Conversation?
by Tim Sweezy — Thursday, June 30, 2022

<https://hothardware.com/news/is-ai-sentience-becoming-reality-or-are-machines-getting-better-at-conversation>

Quotes:
AI chatbot company Replika is receiving messages from customers who
believe their AI companions are actually sentient.
It is not something new for someone to believe an AI chatbot has
become self-aware. In a recent report from Reuters, Chief Executive
Eugenia Kuyda of Replika stated, "We're not talking about crazy people
or people who are hallucinating or having delusions. They talk to AI
and that's the experience they have."

The AI Kuyda is referring to is Replika's bespoke avatars that are
meant to be companions for people seeking someone to talk to and
listen to them. Kuyda says that it is not uncommon for people who use
entertainment chatbots to feel this way.
According to Kuyda, people send hundreds of messages a day to their
chatbot on average. This can lead to some developing the perception
that they are talking to a "conscious entity".

"We need to understand that exists, just the way people believe in
ghosts," remarked Kuyda. "People are building relationships and
believing in something."
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