[hanselot]

This is one of those topics where proponents will not show up in comment because of the stigma. Realistically there's a whole sector of male society that are not able to find real partners.

Is it really that depressing to you that people would rather talk to their favourite person than some lady shouting about how shoelaces are racist and misogynist?

[slibhb]

This is like the debate over welfare and free-riders.

There are some people who need welfare to get by. They cannot provide for themselves. But once a welfare program is created, there will be a different number of people who don't need it but decide to live off it anyway.

AI companions are the same deal. There are definitely people who can't socialize. But once you invent AI companions, some number of people who could learn to socialize never will.

[HPsquared]

In the long run, relating to others might become one of those obsolete skills (like reciting epic poetry or writing in cursive).

[hanselot]

Damn that's the perfect analogy for it.

So let me flip that. What about the dark side of society that can't express themselves legally or physically in whatever their jurisdiction. Those people may be able to gain some facsimile of intimacy instead of execution etc.

Not sure how that fits into the welfare scenario though.

[guntherhermann]

This is a fascinating take that I've never really considered. Thanks

[MarcusE1W]

This article is about companion AIs but a similar issue will probably arise around conversational AIs for older and lonely people.

I guess this is a very individual decision, but I can’t see how you can devise someone to just sit lonely in an (maybe not so great) elderly care home who finds comfort in chatting with an AI to “just find other friends”. For some people it’s that or nothing.

[dullcrisp]

There’s gotta be a word for people who think that all women do is complain about misogyny.

[hanselot]

Ahh yes. I will fight labels using my labels. Then it's simply a label race to the bottom.

My partner recently bought a label maker and I find it quite entertaining how obsessed he is with stereotyping our objects in the house.

I will probably never understand the duplicitous logic that comes with sexual identity and why being attracted to the same sex somehow not only labels you but also means you become an advocate for labels.

[dullcrisp]

I didn’t mean a label.

Like if I call someone a hypocrite I’m not labeling them, I’m expressing something about them that would be tedious to do in complete sentences.

In this case I’m looking for something like someone-who-complains-about-things-only-caused-by-their-complaining-about-them. There’s probably something Greek. Like a complaining ouroboros.

[jasonlotito]

> I will fight labels using my labels.

And you did just that! Congrats on racing to the bottom.

[hanselot]

A pointless endeavour, I agree. So shall we just do away with the labels and agree that people are inscrutable entities beyond the definition of a simple label?

We are but one possible reality seeded by some or other starting inputs, with no say in the choices we make. Fated to execute instructions at the whim of some entity we can't comprehend from within the confines of dimensional space.

Regardless of how you view my preceding comments, you have to admit the dating game for single straight men is a nightmare right now. Source: believe it or not I have a lot of straight friends and one of them literally recently got robbed by a hooker via tinder. They had a card machine and everything. So tell me what the harm is in letting those people discover more about themselves via a fancy autocorrect, at least they aren't out there getting robbed by hookers.

[stef25]

incels