LEXINGTON, Ky. — Artificial Intelligence is on the rise and we as humans are learning to adapt with the new technology. ChatGPT, developed in 2020, has gained popularity in recent months, inspiring other tech companies to introduce their versions of AI.
Meet your newest Snapchat friend, MyAI. Marketed as a virtual friend by the chat bot itself; it’s the latest artificial intelligence technology as the phenomenon grows.
“AI is going to play a bigger part and I think the big question people have already started bringing into this is are we going to do this in a smart way or are we just going to plunge in and make all sorts of mess,” said EKU psychology professor, Dan Florell.
Snapchat markets the tool to “connect you more deeply to the people and things you care about most.”
Florell studies technology and its psychological effects and he believes overuse of the bot could cause a false sense of reality for some folks.
“We may not be comfortable in interacting with humans as much if we rely on our AI buddies and we expect to have the same amount of agreement; you know friends have bad days, AI typically don’t have bad days,” Florell said.
Spectrum News 1 tested MyAI and made up a scenario where our dog died and we were feeling sad. And in a matter of seconds, the bot responded with an almost humanlike response.
MyAI exhange:
Reporter: Hey, I’m feeling sad
MyAI: I’m sorry to hear that you’re feeling sad. It’s okay to not feel okay sometimes. Remember that you’re not alone and there are people who care about you. If you’re struggling to cope with your feelings, consider reaching out to a trusted friend or family member for support, or talking to a mental health professional who can provide guidance and resources. You might also find it helpful to engage in self-care activities like taking a walk, listening to music, or practicing mindfulness.
Reporter: How do I deal with the death of my dog?
MyAI: I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. Losing a pet can be incredibly difficult, and it’s normal to feel a range of emotions, like sadness, anger and guilt. It’s important to allow yourself to grieve and process your feelings in a healthy way. Consider doing something to honor your pet’s memory, like creating a photo album or making a donation to an animal charity. You might also find it helpful to talk to a friend or family member who has gone through a similar experience, or to seek support from a pet loss support group or mental health professional. Remember that it’s okay to take as much time as you need to heal, and that your pet will always hold a special place in your heart.
Reporter: Thanks! You’re making me feel a little better.
MyAI: I’m glad I could be here to support you. Remember that you’re not alone and that there are people who care about you. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here for you.
Florell says in a study he did with early chatbots, Wyze and Woebot, student anxiety levels were lowered interacting with the bots.
“We don’t have enough coverage of mental health, enough providers with availability so these could be stop-gap measures or when it’s 3 a.m. and your therapist is not available to get you through that night enough til you can get human help,” Florell said.
He says AI would not be a good use for someone experiencing a serious mental health crisis.
Florell says for most teens with real life friends it will most likely be a nice add on. But for kids feeling isolated, it could serve as a lifeline but also become overly dependent upon.
“This is when we’re forming our identity and figuring out who we are and do we want AI to be the guidance for that individuals in poor family situations or the other side of things, is it better to have an AI than nobody at all who’ll support you so I think that’s something we’ll try to figure out as time goes on,” Florell said.
Florell says it’s too soon to definitively say the exact effects of AI adding it will take years to research.