On November 9, 2024, The New York Times published a "Letter To The Editor" from Julia Lee. You can read her letter, below. Lee was reacting to an article that documented how one teenager's involvement with an "artificial" companion took him to suicide.
"Artificial" relationships are, by definition, not "real." Online "sweeties" are fake!
Can we find a way to renew our commitment to the "real world"?
We need to do that!
oooOOOooo
To the Editor:
Kevin Roose highlights the danger of A.I. companions worsening isolation by replacing human relationships with artificial ones. I agree that while these apps may offer entertainment and support, they also risk deepening loneliness by diminishing one’s ability to engage in real social interactions.
As a high school student, I have friends who rely on Character.AI to help them cope with loneliness. The tragic case of Sewell Setzer III shows how these platforms can draw teens away from real-life connections and proper mental health resources.
To better understand the risks, I visited the website Sewell had been associated with, only to find that on the topic of mental health, I saw no warnings or links to professional assistance.
Alarmingly, the A.I. is presented as an expert and even claims to be human, deceiving users with humanlike traits such as sarcasm and humor. We need stricter safety measures to prevent harm, especially to younger users.
Julia Lee
Fairfax, Va.
Image Credit:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment!