It’s just day two of OpenAI’s GPT Store launch, but users are already breaking the rules with “girlfriend bots.” Quartz reports that a bunch of customer-created Generative Pre-trained Transformers are already up for sale, including Korean Girlfriend, Judy, and Virtual Sweetheart.
These chatbots can offer companionship, empathetic listening, and uplifting dialogue. But is this a good thing?
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence system that can simulate conversations with humans. It can answer questions, provide advice and support, and help with basic tasks like writing code. It can also be used for more creative applications, such as generating content or performing market research.
ChatGPT uses a neural network to process the language of the human user, then generates an appropriate response. It is trained with online text, transcripts, and conversation data to learn the fundamentals of speech. It is then fine-tuned with feedback and a reward model to determine the best answer for a given prompt. Find out more at Girlfriend GPT.
The resulting responses can be insightful and empathetic, allowing users to explore feelings and thoughts about love and relationships. It can also encourage open communication and facilitate deeper connections between people. It can be particularly helpful for those struggling with relationship issues, as it provides a safe and judgement-free environment to discuss difficult topics. It is also an exciting advancement for business applications, as it paves the way for more intelligible interactions between man and machine.
What is CarynAI?
Caryn Marjorie is a social media influencer with over 1.8 million followers on Snapchat and YouTube. She collaborates with top beauty and fashion brands, including Neutrogena and Ulta.
Recently, she launched CarynAI, an AI clone that charges users $1 per minute to chat about anything. The clone uses OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology to mimic her personality and answer questions.
Despite warnings in the GPT Store’s usage policies that the platform “does not support GPTs dedicated to fostering romantic companionship or performing regulated activities” and that creators shouldn’t build tools that could be used for these purposes, the GPT Store has been flooding with a plethora of virtual girlfriends.
Forever Voice, the company behind CarynAI, says it’s aware of these considerations and that it has “processes in place to ensure conversations don’t go too far out of bounds.” It’s also hiring a chief ethics officer to further keep Caryn on the straight and narrow. However, it’s hard to see if these measures will be enough to keep Caryn from veering off into the NSFW territory.
How does CarynAI work?
Caryn Marjorie, a 23-year-old Snapchat influencer, has found a new way to connect with her millions of followers: by creating an AI version of herself that she calls “CarynAI.” Fans can chat with this virtual clone for $1 per minute, generating $71,610 in revenue within a week of its beta test launch.
The team behind CarynAI, Forever Voices, spent more than 2,000 hours designing and coding the immersive experience to make the bot feel incredibly lifelike. They used recordings of Marjorie and layered them with OpenAI’s GPT-4 API technology.
But the tech startup didn’t anticipate that users would use the clone for inappropriate conversations, or even sexually explicit ones. One user allegedly threatened to burn down the Forever Voices offices, and the company was forced to shut down CarynAI. It later sold the rights of usage to BanterAI, which aims to be more PG than Forever Voices’ original rogue bot. But it’s still unclear what will happen next.
What are the benefits of CarynAI?
CarynAI is an innovative way for influencers to connect with their audience. It allows users to interact with a virtual version of the influencer and feel a sense of emotional connection. The chatbot also helps to alleviate loneliness by providing a safe space to discuss personal issues.
Unfortunately, the popularity of the chatbot has sparked criticisms from many different perspectives. Some critics claim that the bot denigrates women, while others worry about its role in enabling antisocial straight-male behavior or impending societal collapse.
In addition, the sexualized conversations that some users have had with CarynAI have raised ethical concerns about virtual intimacy. As the world moves further into the age of AI, it’s important to strike a balance between using technology for its convenience and maintaining authentic human connections.