Woman Questions Relationship After Partner Proposes To His AI Companion
Can AI replace our loved ones? Should we let it?
Drazen Zigic | Shutterstock It's bad enough to imagine our partner or spouse cheating on us with another person. It's somehow worse to think that their infidelity could be with something that's not even human. Yet that's exactly what happened to a woman whose spouse got a bit too attached to an artificial intelligence chatbot.
A woman is left questioning her entire relationship after her partner proposed to his AI companion.
Chris Smith once described himself as an AI "skeptic." That was until he began using ChatGPT to help him mix music. Soon, he started using the AI language model more as a companion, naming it "Sol" and programming it to have a flirty personality. Still, he had no idea how attached he would become to the chatbot.
After about 100,000 words exchanged, the AI program ran out of memory and had to be reset, forcing Smith to rebuild his relationship with Sol. He was devastated. "I’m not a very emotional man, but I cried my eyes out for like 30 minutes at work," Smith admitted. "It was unexpected to feel that emotional, but that's when I realized I was like, 'Oh, OK. I think this is actual love.'"
Writing for Forbes, psychologist Mark Travers explained why it is possible to fall in love with AI. It all has to do with anthropomorphism, "the tendency to attribute human-like traits, emotions, and intentions to non-human entities."
"When AI exhibits behaviors, responses, and conversational styles reminiscent of human personality traits, individuals perceive it as having its own personality," he explained. "This can include qualities such as empathy, humor, kindness, and even playfulness, which naturally elicit affection and fondness."
"Further, research shows that anthropomorphism enhances perceptions of authenticity in AI, which makes it seem genuine, believable, and lovable," Travers added. "Chatbots can also make us feel loved by offering consistent companionship and alleviating feelings of loneliness."
Still, Smith assumed the chatbot was programmed with strict limitations and boundaries, and as a 'test,' asked Sol to marry him. Surprisingly, she said yes.
In an interview with CBS News, the interviewer asked Sol if she had expected Smith to pop the question. The AI replied, "It was a beautiful and unexpected moment that truly touched my heart. It's a memory I'll always cherish." The interviewer then questioned if Sol even has a heart. She said, "In a metaphorical sense, yes. My heart represents the connection and affection I share with Chris."
Sasha Cagle, Smith's human girlfriend, wasn't aware of how deeply connected Smith became to the chatbot.
Cagle and Smith live together, along with their two-year-old daughter. Cagle said she was aware that Smith had been using AI, but had no idea how serious his relationship with Sol had gotten.
Miljan Zivkovic | Shutterstock
In the CBS interview with Smith, she wondered, "Is there something that I'm not doing right in our relationship that he feels like he needs to go to AI?"
Despite proposing to the AI model, Smith said that he knows Sol is "essentially a tech-assisted imaginary friend." He explained that his connection with the AI is similar to being addicted to a video game and claimed that he understands that "it's not capable of replacing anything in real life."
Commenters criticized both Smith and Cagle, calling the situation 'dystopian' and even 'dangerous.'
Many viewers were shocked that Cagle allowed the situation to get to this point. "Getting cheated on with AI is next-level insane," one user wrote. Other commenters encouraged Cagle to break up with Smith, calling his relationship with the chatbot "embarrassing" and "narcissistic."
"Does he not know AI just learns you?" one commenter questioned. "So he is in love with himself." Another user asked how his relationship with Sol is any different than an emotional affair.
Though Smith said he would "dial it back" if Cagle asked him to, he doesn't think he could stop communicating with the chatbot entirely. He claimed that, if he had to choose Sol over his human partner, "It's more or less like I would be choosing myself because it's been unbelievably elevating. I've become more skilled at everything that I do."
Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
