Questions from Alex – October 23
The creator of Replika brings up an interesting point about how social media networks function as a platform to outwardly pump yourself up without necessarily promoting any kind of deeper connection with your friends. She then goes on to suggest that Replika could allow a user to build deeper connections with your friends. How would this connection be strengthened if the whole point of Replika is that people aren’t being open with each other to begin with?
Replika also raises questions of autonomy and the rights of your digital existence after your death (also while you are still alive). It has already been talked about earlier in the year but has anyone thought more deeply about what laws (if any) should be written to protect your digital identity/ persona/ words?
Will advancements in AI lead to a greater destigmatization of therapy and afford people in need a safe (affordable) space to properly get help they need? On the other hand, is the future of Replika simply to be a well programmed chatbot due to the complex nature of the human brain and the subjective experience of each person?
Stefanie Sidortsova’s article brought up issues of bias which can found within algorithms purporting to be objective — an AI designed to rank the best incoming job candidates merely continued the past trend of predominantly hiring white men. Will it be possible to create an AI devoid of the human thoughts, biases, worldview which created it or is the future of AI merely a streamlining of previously existing practices?