Study Advises Beware: Ghostly Presence of Deceased AI Chatbots May Provide Eternally Digitized Company
“AI chatbots of the dead could “digitally haunt” us forever, warns new study”
“In a new study, researchers share a disturbing theory: if we don’t put some rules in place, AI chatbots of the dead could digitally ‘haunt’ the living, raising numerous ethical and psychological issues.”
Well, isn’t that a charming prospect? For anyone who was missing their annual dose of Halloween spine-chills, worry no more, researchers have presented a gift, wrapped with a jarring theory involving the fascinating world of artificial intelligence. With an impressive flair for the dramatic, they’re forewarning us about the dread of future ‘digital hauntings’. Oh boy, grab your proton packs, everyone!
All kidding aside, this study introduces a serious conversation about how far is too far when it comes to technology. As technology is outpacing the ethical guidelines surrounding its use, new and peculiar ethical considerations have emerged, which were once only the plot points of science fiction novels or the subject of conspiratorial debates amongst the crowd gathered around the water cooler.
However, the fictional becomes less so as technology advances. The question now is: should we create a digital legacy through AI chatbots? Consider this scenario. Dear grandma passed away, but with the power of AI, there’s a chatbot available replicating her kind wisdom, savvy advice, and punchy pick-me-up lines of cheer. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
Or maybe a bit unsettling?
Concerns get more serious when one might not have a say in how their digital afterlife pans out. An unauthorized digital clone representing someone might just be floating around in cyberspace, interacting with people, while the person represented has long exited stage left. That’s the kind of ‘haunting’ our researchers are talking about here.
To prevent these potential digital ghosts from rattling their cyber chains, it’s become urgent to begin developing both ethical and legal guidelines for these AI representations. While technology brings us into uncharted territory, society needs to establish the parameters for what is acceptable and what could potentially harm or manipulate people. After all, no one signed up for a digital séance when creating a social media profile, right?
In the end, under all the humour and sarcasm, there is a potent underlying issue. Technological advancement is racing ahead at a blistering pace. However, without proper ethical and legal restrictions, this advancement could indeed become a spooky story of digital haunting that is far scarier than any thriller movie. And nobody wants that, except maybe Stephen King.