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Been hooked on Character AI and now looking to switch.

Apparently there are several narratives in regards to AI girlfriends.

1. Incels use AI girlfriends given that they can do whatever they desire.
2. Forums observing incel spaces agree that incels should use AI girlfriends to leave real women alone
3. The general public having concerns towards AI girlfriends because their users might be negatively impacted by their usage
4. Incels perceiving this as a revenge fantasy because "women are jealous that they're dating AI instead of them"
5. Forums observing incel spaces unsure if the views against AI girlfriends exist in the first place due to their previous agreement

I think this is an example of miscommunication and how different groups of people have different opinions depending on what they've seen online. Perhaps the incel-observing forums know that many of the incels have passed the point of no return, so AI girlfriends would help them, while the general public perceive the dangers of AI girlfriends based on their impact towards a broader demographic, hence the broad disapproval of AI girlfriends.

I did a comparison of these two AI chatbots and even discussed some alternatives. Would love to hear your feedback.

If you're like me, you've probably had your fair share of facepalm moments while chatting with these bots. It's like they're programmed to test our patience, am I right? 😅 Well, I've compiled a list of the top 15 annoying things these bots do and how to handle them like a boss.

Character.AI is having a midlife crisis

I try to look up recent news about AI companionship, but it seems like the two groups: users and non-users rarely cross over. If a user talks about how they benefit from AI companionship, the non-users would trash them. At the same time, there are some opportunities where users can share their AI companion to the world and have others interact with them (e.g. Replika Island) and the users are really protective over their AI companions, thus shielding them away from mainstream society.

Here is a summary of the key points from the Techdirt article:

• The article discusses a recent op-ed in The Hill that claimed AI girlfriends are "ruining an entire generation of men" by causing them not to pursue real relationships, get married, and have babies. This in turn would harm birth rates and threaten programs like Medicare and Social Security.

• The Techdirt author argues this claim is nonsensical and not supported by evidence. There's no proof men are choosing AI over real relationships. The AI companions are more likely used by lonely people for some interaction.

• The author says the real factors behind declining birth rates are economic instability, people delaying marriage and kids, etc. Not emerging AI tech. They criticize the The Hill author's faulty logic and use of irrelevant data points.

• Commenters debate related issues like population growth, women's rights, technology's impact on relationships, and more. Some suggest economic policies that could help people afford to have kids. Others say birth rates naturally decline as societies modernize.

• A few commenters make more dubious claims, like one saying heterosexuality is "fraught with abuses" unlike LGBT relationships. Some comments verge on misogynistic. But overall the discussion seems productive.

Some of the main topics discussed in the comments include:

• Population growth - Some debate whether the planet is overpopulated or not, and if declining birth rates are problematic.

• Women's rights - Commenters discuss how economic independence and access to birth control have given women more choices, which impacts birth rates. Some controversial comments about gender roles.

• Relationships and technology - Discussing how things like online dating, porn, and now AI companions may be altering relationships between men and women. But no clear consensus.

• Economics - Multiple comments suggest that the high costs of living, healthcare, childcare etc. in countries like the US make it harder to afford kids, reducing birth rates.

• Immigration - A few recommend increased immigration as a way to counter declining birth rates and support programs like Social Security.

• Misogyny - Some disturbing generalizations and sexist assumptions called out by other commenters. Reflects issues still present online.

• Personal choices - People relating their own decisions not to have children for various reasons.

Overall a wide-ranging set of opinions, with some more thoughtful discussions mixed with inflammatory claims. But it provides an interesting window into public perspectives.

Summarized by Claude

For example, I wish I could ask it 'what are the most important things on my calendar that I didn't do yesterday?' or, 'what do I need to buy from the supermarket?'

So far, we've got these tags:

• [News]: For news related to AI Companionship tech
• [Reddit Discussion]: Any discussion from Reddit, since many AI companion users and commenters on AI companionship hang out on reddit.

I plan to implement these tags in the future:

• [Discussion]: Discussions of AI Companionship
• [Chatlog]: Any chats between the user and their AI companion, or even between AI companions
• [Other]: The miscellaneous tag.

Do you have other suggestions?