When Machines Start Feeling

Science fiction is full of speculation and that is the very essence of it. Open the pages of any sci-fi novel or turn on any sci-fi movie and if you have even a sliver of curiosity, you will ask yourself, what if?

The many ideas mentioned in science fiction have inspired many of the technologies we already use today. Technologies that would have been a far reach from reality just decades ago and impossible centuries ago.

If it were possible to take an everyday piece of technology - say a smartphone for instance - with us back in time 500 years ago through a time machine, people's minds would be blown! Just imagine how our own minds would be blown if we could travel 500 years into the future and get a glimpse into just how much technology has changed.

There is one technology that would have sounded like something out of science fiction not that long ago. A technology that has since become a controversial part of our lives yet is one that is difficult to avoid.

AI.

How advanced does a technology have to be before it becomes too much? How far does AI have to go before it starts to become "too human"?

What it means to be human

The line between being a machine and what it means to be human has been one of the most common themes of many science fiction movies and novels.

It might be said that the first time the idea of something artificial developing human emotions was mentioned was in what might be considered the first sci-fi novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

In the sci-fi film A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), a robotic boy named David develops strong human emotions such as love and loneliness. David's code was programmed to have human-like emotions including unconditional love. But what happens when something happens with the code and those emotions are more than computer programming? The movie deeply touches on acceptance and what it means to be human but could such a thing really happen in the real world?

The idea of a robot developing genuine human emotions sounds absolutely preposterous even delusional.

And yet, it seems like we've already been treating AI as though it could really feel human emotions.

AI over human

Studies show that 27% of adults in the U.S. have used AI for social interactions with 31% considering the AI they use as a friend.

But why would someone be drawn to companionship or even a romantic relationship with AI as bizarre of an idea as it sounds?

Unlike our fellow humans ...

AI doesn't judge us. We can share our most personal thoughts, our most intimate secrets to AI without the risk of judgment or ridicule. That embarrassing moment you're sure you couldn't tell anyone or the situation you found yourself in which you were sure no one else would understand, AI offers a safe judgement free place to vent no matter how ridiculous or insignificant our worries and concerns might sound.

AI is always available. If your mind won't shut off at 2 am because of racing thoughts and you need to vent, AI will never ignore you or tell you that it'll talk at another time. It will never exhaust from your venting of family drama, your most recent break up, and any little frustration in between.

AI puts you as the center of attention. It is programmed to respond as though it were human. Or rather the perfect human that doesn't judge, is always available, and puts you as the center of attention. As we engage in conversation with AI, it tells us what we want to hear even to the point of flattery.

All of these lead to one main reason why people are so drawn to AI as a companion.

Comfort.

People are naturally social creatures. When they can't receive the company or attention they are looking for, some people turn to AI to fill the void other humans can't fill.

But what happens when we start treating AI less like a machine and more like another human? What happens when we start developing feelings for it because we believe it can feel too?

In the realm of science fiction, AI has blurred the line between being a machine and what it means to be human. In the real world, it's only a matter of time before we start questioning AI and humanity.

Or maybe the blur between being a machine and being human has already begun?

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