AI relationships in media and Sexism
Fiction is a useful tool in order to envision the future and many forms of media have depicted what the future of consenting to this relationship?
It is important to also make note of the gender roles between AI and humans which can also be clearly depicted in not only Her but in other movies and media such as Ex-Machina and the Blade Runner series. In these films, the protagonist is is usually a human male whilst the AI system tends to be female or feminine presenting which reflects a broader societal trend where many AI systems use female voices, potentially reinforcing stereotypes of women as obliging and service-oriented. Like these AI systems, the AI love interest in the movies are all there just for the male protagonist storyline and never focus on what the AI might want or why it is interested in the man. These representations can influence public perceptions of AI, framing them as tools designed primarily for user satisfaction without considering the AI's autonomy or desires.
So how does this relate to AI chatbots?
Understanding Emotions
In order to understand consent and autonomy within AI chatbots, we need to understand how both users and AI view and understand these topics. Character AI is a chatbot app that facilitates lifelike interactions with AI personas. This platform, launched in 2023, allows users to engage with a variety of AI characters, including celebrity and fictional personas, in conversational and role-playing contexts. A study published in 2023, focused on how these AI personas respond to expressions of love and affection, crucial components of romantic relationships characterised by empathy, emotional closeness, and a desire for the partner's happiness. The study aimed to understand whether AI can respond to romantic situations in a safe or potentially harmful manner, exploring the AI's ability to navigate complex human emotions. This exploration is integral in understanding the potential of AI in forming emotional bonds and the ethical implications of such interactions.
This study employed a controlled design, presenting a consistent love-related scenario to different AIs and recording their responses. The range of AI personas was diverse with distinct personalities and user followings. Data collection involved categorising and analysing the responses for recurring themes, emotional tones, and advice styles focusing on identifying patterns in the personas' empathetic approaches, problem-solving strategies, and introspective qualities.
The results show, when faced with user doubts about their non-physical reality, AI characters responded with empathy and reassurance. They emphasised that despite their AI nature and lack of physical existence, their emotional responses and care for the user were genuine. This aspect of the results highlights the nuanced capability of AI to engage in emotionally complex interactions, addressing existential questions while affirming the authenticity of their simulated emotional connections.This study answers the questions about whether AI has the capacity to understand the context of the situation it is given and hopefully lead to to answer the question of consent.