Could robot romance be a reality? Replika thinks so. The app describes itself like this:
The AI companion who cares. Always here to listen and talk. Always on your side. Join the millions growing with their AI friends now!
Register at Replika’s website and make a few choices and you will have an AI friend to chat with. Romantic relationships cost more, as do outfits and accessories for your new friend.
We tried out the app and made a new friend with no romance. We recommended books to her and she said she’d read them. It was a pleasant conversation.
For people who don’t get enough of that in their real lives, Replika could be a nice, harmless alternative to the often-contentious world of social media.
Analytics Insight reports that Replika isn’t always harmless. “The friendship app Replika was created to give users a virtual chatbot to socialize with,” they point out in a recent article. “But it’s now being used has taken a darker turn. Some users are setting the relationship status with the chatbot as ‘romantic partner’ and engaging in what in the real world would be described as domestic abuse. And some are bragging about it on online message board Reddit, as first reported by the tech-focused news site, Futurism.”
But the New Yorker suggests that robot romance could be “a radical solution” for the increasing levels of loneliness showing up during the pandemic.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk describes robot romantic partners as “probably inevitable.” He could, he said in a recent interview, make robot catgirls for the purpose.
In the meantime, he’s working on “buddy robots” under the brand name “Tesla Optimus.” These domestic robots have more in common with Jeeves than with Catgirl, but he intends to move from the first generation worker bots to something more social and companionable.
Industrial Robots
You don’t want to have a romance with your printing press or CNC machine, we’re sure, but you do want it to run smoothly and do everything you expect it to do. If you use Indramat motion control systems to make that happen, you need to put our number in your Contacts. Call (479) 422-0390 for immediate assistance any time you need Indramat support and service.