Even asking this question is proof enough that we live in a futuristic world already. Who could have thought a day will come where we will talk about being friends with a software.

That even sounds weird, doesn’t it? Friendship is something that is built upon human connection and emotions and since an AI is devoid of all that, we can’t even imagine how a piece of computer code and be our friend.

And yet, the very notion of friendship is being redefined as AI researchers keep trying to give it more human attributes day by day, in a bid to make it as ‘human’ as possible.

Today I got to know about this app called “Replika” which is basically an AI chat bot. You open the app and start chatting with the AI, which starts learning about your personality, and over time, becomes your friend, even advising and helping you when you need it.

An AI Friend?

When I first read about it, I thought that it will be just like those other ‘chat bots’ who fail miserably at answering even the simplest of questions because they are pre-programmed with a limited set of questions and their responses and when the user asks anything creative, they get confused.

So, I had to check out the app myself to be sure it was as good as people were claiming it to be. To my surprise, it is the most cutting edge AI chat bot that I have ever used. It starts off by asking you simple questions to determine your personality traits.

But what is very, very intriguing is that it tells you exactly the kind of person you are based on those questions and your replies and then it tailors itself to be your friend that you need it to be.

Over time, it also learns about your interests and habits and your personal life (however much you want to share with it). It then acts as your friend by providing emotional support and advices when you need it. It even remembers things you told it in the past (even trivial things) and reminds you of those in suitable circumstances. Just like what a real human does!

The Beginning of A Shift?

Our social structure has always been changing. Ever since social media sites like facebook and twitter and the likes were introduced to the world, our personal relations with each other have changed so much. A lot of it has been negative and some of it has been positive.

But there has been a major change in the society, regardless. With the advent of human like AI, I see another shift coming. Now, increasingly, we will have more options of befriending an AI and confiding into it like we would with a real human.

One of the greatest advantages served by an AI friend would be that there is simply no judging from it and you could tell it your deepest, darkest thoughts and secrets which you would never tell another human being. At least that’s what the creators of Replika seem to think.

Anyways, what are your thoughts on this? Do you see this as the new normal as more and more people decide to go this route? Do check the app yourself if you can comment your experience here. I literally tried it for an hour and was left really impressed!