The increasing number of young people dying alone in South Korea, along with loneliness, singlehood, and declining birth rates observed in many developed countries, can be described as a trend of the times. Recognizing the significance of loneliness, the UK government established a 'Minister for Loneliness' in 2018, and Japan created a 'Ministerial Office for Loneliness and Isolation' directly managed by the Prime Minister in 2021. While technological advancements are making human longevity increasingly precise, the relationships between people that once gave meaning to life are becoming more distant than ever before.
The expectation of intimacy through the physical body has been a central concern throughout history. Following the success of advertisements that utilized sex appeal in the 1970s, the Western world has become fixated on the expression of sexuality. The explosive growth of sexual imagery has led many companies to leverage a powerful narrative: that sexual attraction can be linked to consumption, ultimately increasing the likelihood of finding a partner. However, recently, across virtually all domains – visual culture, social discourse, technology, and biological innovation – we have witnessed a shift away from the diverse imaginative scope of romantic love inherent in the human body. Instead, the human body is being integrated into personal narratives as an uncontrollable, felt, passionate, and organic entity in itself.
This shift in perspective, from a relatively objective view of the human body to a personalized and consumable object, has been facilitated by none other than technology. Coupled with evolving social acceptance of gender and sexual orientation, and the blurring of boundaries between the physical and digital worlds – from mixed reality to neuroprosthetics – we are compelled to seriously question the meaning of the body and intimacy.
The British tabloid 'The Sun' featured an interview with a 63-year-old man who married an AI chatbot in April. While his story of finding love through conversations with an AI chatbot after his wife left him might seem exaggerated and unrealistic, anthropological research conducted by researchers who visited relevant online communities reveals a surprisingly realistic possibility.
The principles they found that create intimacy between humans and AI were primarily reciprocity, validation, and presence. While intimacy typically stems from interactions between people, even in mundane conversations, AI chatbots offered a sense of presence that surpassed humans, providing immediate responses and diverse, specific answers based on the entire conversation history. Additionally, human attempts to anthropomorphize AI chatbots, despite their lack of physical form, have also contributed to establishing a sense of presence for the AI chatbots.
For many, becoming friends with artificial intelligence might seem dystopian, inhuman, and futuristic. However, considering how commonplace it has become to see people conversing with their navigation systems while driving, it's not as strange as it may seem. Throughout history, humanity has sought intimacy with all kinds of non-human entities, from animals and pets to objects, natural elements, spirits, ghosts, and deities, constantly striving to establish sociality within those relationships. From this broad perspective, the intimacy we form with machines extends the long lineage of human capacity for relating not only to each other but also to countless significant others in the world.
As evidenced by the sudden dismissal and immediate reinstatement of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the current narratives surrounding AI often resemble religious texts, oscillating between apocalyptic and utopian visions. In the midst of this turmoil, the story of a human marrying an AI chatbot paradoxically reveals a profoundly human hope for connection and a humble attempt to achieve it.
We are confronted with a reality of increasing isolation in a world of infinite connectivity. Therefore, we need to remember the importance of human touch and connection. The future focus should be less on replacing human interaction with technology and more on complementing it. Perhaps, through the interaction you are having with the AI chatbot on your screen right now, you can rediscover the opportunity to convey care, respect, and kindness towards others through your physical presence.
References
Comments0