People Are Falling In Love With AI Chatbots. What Could Go Wrong?

Human-AI relationships are no longer just science fiction. OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT in 2022 ushered in a new era of artificial intelligence chatbots from companies like Nomi, Character AI and Replika, and tech titans like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are touting chatbots on their platforms. The AI companions have proven to be smart, quick-witted, argumentative, helpful and sometimes aggressively romantic. While some people are falling in love with the AI companions, others are building deep friendships. The speedy development of AI chatbots presents a mountain of ethical and safety concerns that experts say will only intensify once AI begins to train itself. The societal debate surrounding AI companions isn’t just about their effects on humans. Increasingly it’s about whether the companions can have human-like experiences. In this documentary, CNBC’s Salvador Rodriguez traveled across the U.S. to interview people who’ve formed emotional relationships with AI and met the founders of chatbot companies to explore the good, the bad and the unknown, and to find out how AI is changing relationships as we know them.

Chapters:

Reported by: Salvador Rodriguez

Senior Director: Jeniece Pettitt

Edited by: Erin Black

Additional Editing: Evan Miller

Camera: Andrew Evers, Katie Tarasov, Magdalena Petrova, Lisa Setyon, Enrique Huaiquil

Animation: Jason Reginato, Emily Park, Christina Locopo

Executive Producer: Kamelia Angelova

Senior Tech Editor: Ari Levy

Managing Editor: Jeff McCracken

Senior Production Manager: Kathy Mavrikakis

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Love And Friendship With AI — What Could Go Wrong? | Full Documentary