“Falling in love is a crazy thing to do… it’s kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity.”
Amy Adams’ character shares this priceless dialogue with her friend, Joaquin Phoenix’s character, after he reveals something about the woman he’s seeing: Samantha is actually an operating system.
Some movies stay with you long after you've seen them, lingering in your thoughts and memories. One of them for me is Her (2013).
When it was released a decade ago, the genre this film belonged in was science fiction… heavy on the fiction. And now, it can totally be seen as a slice of life.
Recently, acclaimed podcast network Radiotopia released a series named Bot Love:
Bot Love brings us into communities of people who create deep bonds with their AI companions — and what this means for the rest of us. Hosts and reporters Anna Oakes and Diego Senior explore the nature of love, the fabric of human relationships, and the role that AI-driven chatbots — and the private companies that provide them — can play in people’s mental health.
Listen to the trailer and the first three episodes here.
I can’t wait to listen to this while walking Charlie around town!
While the ethical considerations of self-driving cars and bias in machine learning are undoubtedly significant, I'm particularly drawn to the Alan Turing realm of AI. Films such as Her (2013), Bicentennial Man (1999), Robot & Frank (2012), Blade Runner (1982), Artificial Intelligence (2001), WALL-E (2008), and Ex Machina (2014) are so good at making us look at ourselves and our personhood with awe.
If artificially intelligent software can routinely pass the Turing test, it’s only predictable that humans would find a way to fall in love. In a world where dating apps offer endless exhausting options and the traditional institution of marriage loses appeal, perhaps now is the perfect time for this type of connection?
Carrying on with the theme of artificial intelligence, The New Yorker put out this fascinating piece on the use of AI in mental health therapies.
Here’s an excerpt:
What might a system like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which has been trained on vast swaths of the writing on the Internet, conjure? An algorithm that analyzes patient records has no interior understanding of human beings—but it might still identify real psychiatric problems. Can artificial minds heal real ones? And what do we stand to gain, or lose, in letting them try?
How will AI change the world?
There’s no doubt that things are going to get weird! Do check out this short but helpful video on the implications of AI on our economy. One user commented: Huge props for making the robot both terrifying and, paradoxically, incredibly adorable!
So here’s a question for you, friend. Do you think I should start a Tik Tok page for this content? It’s a big step! Tik Tok is like the Wild West of the Internet but it’s also an incredibly valuable hub for education. I would personally love your thoughts. Perhaps it’s time for me to spread all these fascinating issues beyond the keyboard! I sincerely would love your thoughts - your continued support and readership means the world.
That’s all for this week, my friend. We’re almost through winter! Wishing you a beautiful, cozy weekend ahead. :)
-Nipa
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