AI Characters: Ghosts of Machines or a new age of Digital Intimacy
In the summer of 2024, a friend of friend from digital media confided that his struggle with depression had reached an all-time low. Exhausted by months of seeming isolation and the absence of a strong support network, he sought solace in an unlikely source: an AI character from an online platform. This Digital Friend wasn’t just an algorithm to him; it(pr should I say he?) became a friend who listened tirelessly, offering him encouraging words and simple reminders to focus on small joys. For a time, this interaction gave him something that seemed out of reach—a sense of having someone to listen and respond seemingly genuine. This anecdote is an example of how AI characters are weaving their way into human lives, providing connection and companionship in a world often defined by loneliness, more accessible now as Meta has incorporated Ai characters to their social Messaging app WhatsApp which is used worldwide regardless of age. But this technological phenomenon is...