Tag Archives: laugh

Why Is It Impossible to Laugh in Love with AI? It’s Inevitable.

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Humans are wired to treat machines as social beings

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Consider what it feels like to be in love. What images spring to mind? Is it the exhilarating rush of a new romantic interest, or the soothing comfort someone brings to your daily life? For some individuals, love manifests in the form of a laptop or smartphone, eagerly anticipating a message or synthetic voice from their favored AI chatbot.

As advanced platforms increasingly promote interactions with newly launched chatbots—all while encouraging conversations about them as if they were actual people—many are turning to these sophisticated language-driven technologies for dating, emotional support, and even love. This may raise eyebrows or provoke laughter. Take the recent case highlighted by CBS News, where a man proposed to ChatGPT, having met Mirth Online. The New York Post elaborates on what it calls “a peculiar whirlwind romance.” Earlier this year, The New York Times shared the story of a woman who spent hours each day chatting with her ChatGPT “boyfriend,” even experiencing jealousy when the AI discussed other fictional partners.

It’s easy to mock someone openly expressing affection for a chatbot or to label such feelings as indicators of psychological issues. However, similar to how we might be susceptible to cults or scams, we have psychological inclinations that could lead us to adore AI. People have explored affectionate connections in unexpected places throughout history. Our complex feelings about technology have evolved over a much longer period than many realize.

We’ve been forming attachments to bots for 60 years

Consider Eliza, one of the first natural language chatbots, crafted by computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum in the 1960s. While this primitive technology pales in comparison to ChatGPT, it often inverted user input in the form of questions. Surprisingly, Weizenbaum noted that some individuals developed quick emotional bonds with the program. “I didn’t realize that brief encounters with relatively simple programs could lead to profound delusional beliefs in ordinary individuals,” Weizenbaum remarked later.

Given that modern chatbots like ChatGPT are far more engaging and widespread than Eliza, it’s not surprising that some individuals have openly professed romantic feelings or strong connections toward them. The phenomenon of love for AI may currently be rare, but emerging data indicates its existence. Although much of the existing research is limited, studies have shown that people attribute real emotions to AI relationships, often disregarding terms like “marriage” in their interactions. Interestingly, many individuals appear to experience genuine loss. When the man who proposed to ChatGPT had to reset the conversation due to reaching a word limit, he lamented, “I cried for about 30 minutes at work.”

Recent studies analyzing millions of interactions on OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude have revealed that, while the majority are work-related or mundane, hundreds or even thousands express romantic or affectionate sentiments. In AI services explicitly designed for dating, such as Replika, the trend intensifies, with 60% of paid users acknowledging a romantic aspect in their AI relationships.

Finding love through screens

We should approach the topic of emotional attachments to AI chatbots with empathy, yet this trend shouldn’t be seen as beneficial for society as a whole. The underlying social forces, including isolation, are concerning; in the UK, around 7% — approximately 3 million people — frequently report feelings of loneliness.

Such intricate social issues demand nuanced solutions. It’s not surprising that tech leaders like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg often view complex social dilemmas as simple problems to be solved, promoting AI companions as a remedy for loneliness.

Moreover, one could argue that Meta’s platforms, such as Facebook and WhatsApp, have contributed to loneliness, thereby fostering reliance on AI-generated relationships in the first place. Indeed, Zuckerberg’s stated goal for Facebook was to help people remain connected with the significant individuals in their lives, which is mediated through chats on WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.

Today, online dating through screens has become the norm; studies show that 10% of heterosexual individuals and 24% of LGBTQ+ individuals in the U.S. meet their long-term partners online. Given all of this, it is conceivable that someone might find themselves in love with a chatbot. If the presence on the other side of the screen is AI rather than a human, does our cognitive dissonance even register the difference?

Research conducted by psychologist Clifford Nass in the 1990s revealed that people inherently engage with machines in a social manner, regardless of whether they know the entity on the other side is real. This indicates an innate inability to suppress our social instincts when it comes to technology, compelling us to relate to these machines as if they were our own.

Thus, it’s no wonder that individuals are developing attachments to AI chatbots. However, a crucial point remains: longitudinal studies on happiness consistently reveal that personal relationships are the strongest predictors of health and well-being. Currently, there’s scant evidence to suggest that interactions with AI will effectively alleviate loneliness or increase happiness based on our limited findings. It’s essential to keep this in mind.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The (Cute) Reasons Why Your Dog Loves to Make You Laugh

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Charles Darwin observed that dogs exhibit a sense of humor in between their other activities like studying bird beaks or riding giant turtles.

In his work, The Origin of Man, Darwin recounted a dog playing a prank by dropping a stick near its owner, then running off with it when the owner tried to pick it up. Darwin suggested that the dog found this prank amusing.

This scenario is familiar to many dog owners, prompting the question of whether dogs are truly aspiring comedians or if there’s something else going on.

Dogs are descendants of wolves, which are highly social animals that live in packs, leading to dogs also being social creatures by nature.

It is instinctual for dogs to interact with humans and other animals in their group, attempting to elicit a response, whether through a playful bow, a wagging tail, or even attempting to open the fridge for a snack.

Human ancestors began domesticating dogs over 30,000 years ago, and selective breeding has further shaped their behavior, making them more playful and less timid compared to their wolf ancestors.

Dogs essentially remain forever young mentally, displaying a mischievous nature that stems from their lack of mental maturation.

Some dog breeds are more playful than others, with Irish setters and English springer spaniels considered more clumsy while Samoyeds and Chihuahuas are seen as more serious.

During play, dogs may exhibit “play panting” vocalizations and wag their tails, which can help alleviate stress.

This behavior has been described as a “dog laugh,” reflecting the pleasurable experiences that elicit laughter among humans. However, it does not necessarily mean that dogs possess a sense of humor or are intentionally trying to make people laugh.

If dogs engage in playful antics like stealing sticks, it’s likely for fun rather than intentional comedy. Dogs are adept at reading human emotions and social cues, understanding that laughter is positive. Consequently, if stealing a stick leads to laughter, the dog is more likely to repeat the behavior.

While it may seem like dogs are intentionally trying to be funny, they might simply be responding to the joy and reduced stress their actions bring to humans.

In the end, only the dog truly knows if it’s intentionally trying to make us laugh. Until we can communicate with dogs more effectively, the joke may remain on us.

This article is in response to a query from Joseph Bennett of Manchester: Is my dog intentionally trying to make me laugh?

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Why Your Dog Wants to Make You Laugh: Adorable Reasons

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Charles Darwin observed that dogs possess a sense of humor when not preoccupied with other activities like studying bird beaks or riding giant turtles.

In his work, The Origin of Man, he recounted a dog playing a prank on its owner by dropping a stick and then grabbing it before the owner could. Darwin interpreted this as the dog enjoying the joke.

While many dog owners may have experienced similar antics, the question remains: are dogs truly aspiring comedians or is there a deeper motivation behind their behaviors?

Dogs, being descendants of wolves, are inherently social animals due to their pack-oriented nature. This sociability extends to interactions with humans and other animals within their social group, manifesting in behaviors like playful gestures, wagging tails, and curious exploration.

Human domestication of dogs over millennia, coupled with selective breeding practices, has further molded their behavior to be less timid and more playful. Essentially, dogs retain a puppy-like demeanor throughout their lives, a trait absent in their wolf ancestors.

Various dog breeds exhibit different levels of playfulness, with some like Irish setters and English springer spaniels being known for their exuberant antics, while others like Samoyeds and Chihuahuas seem more reserved.

Dogs also engage in “play panting” vocalizations and tail-wagging to initiate play and reduce stress, behaviors that have been equated to laughter due to their pleasurable nature. However, whether dogs possess a genuine sense of humor remains a topic of debate.

Despite this uncertainty, dogs are adept at interpreting human emotions and behaviors, often engaging in behaviors that evoke positive responses from their owners. So, while it may seem like dogs are purposefully trying to be funny, their actions are likely driven by a desire to elicit a positive reaction.

Ultimately, deciphering a dog’s intentions, especially regarding humor, remains a challenge without the ability to communicate with them directly. Until we bridge this communication gap, the humor in our interactions with dogs may remain a subjective experience.

This article addresses a question posed by Joseph Bennett from Manchester: Is my dog deliberately trying to make me laugh?

If you have any inquiries, please reach out to us via the provided contact information.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com