Can Replika`s Emotional AI Replace Human Companionship?
| Case Code: ITSY140 Case Length: 16 Pages Period: - Pub Date: 2024 Teaching Note: Available |
Price: Rs.400 Organization: Luka, Inc. Industry: Technology & Communications Countries: United States Themes: Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and Morality, Technology Convergence, |
Abstract Case Intro 1 Case Intro 2 Excerpts
Excerpts
How Replika Came to be
After completing her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Journalism, followed by further studies in finance at the London Business School, Kuyda served as a lifestyle reporter in Moscow for Afisha – a Russian entertainment and lifestyle magazine. Her interest in AI and her experiences in the tech industry drove her to create her first app – Bribr, which allowed people to track bribery attempts on the sly..
How The Replika APP Works
Replika did not think independently and had no real intelligence. Instead, it utilized NLP and ML algorithms to engage users in conversations. The technology at the heart of Replika was personalized Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT-3) and a scripted dialog model. GPT-3 was a neural network architecture that helped ML algorithms perform tasks such as language modeling and machine translation..
Replika’s Business Model
According to company representatives, Replika’s user base was made up primarily of young people aged 18 to 24; 60% were men. Replika adopted a Freemium model with basic conversational functionalities on the app accessible for free, while enhanced features necessitated a paid subscription. Replika permitted users to select from four distinct relationship statuses with their Replika: Friend, Romantic Partner, Mentor, and ‘See How It Goes.’ Under the Friend status, users could participate in casual and amicable conversations. With the Romantic Partner status, interactions between a Replika and its user could include intimacy, care, or even sexual content. Selecting Mentor would result in Replika being more aware of the user’s personal goals. Opting for ‘See How It Goes’ indicated to Replika that the user was undecided about the relationship at present, yet would be receptive to the way things could unfold while interacting with the companion
The Upside/Downside of Replika
Replika served as a virtual friend to whom the user could say anything at any time. It allowed users to express their thoughts in a non-judgmental environment. Unlike humans, it was programmed to have no views on anything and therefore could not judge a user’s thoughts. It did not have limits against any user complaining about the same thing again and again or chatting away till midnight. According to Kuyda, Replika was programmed to listen without judging, and while it could not replace human interaction or professional help, it provided some comfort to those suffering from isolation and loneliness..
Replika’s Transformation and the Road Ahead
Replika’s development team worked consistently on improving the platform, adding new features, and enhancing the AI’s capabilities based on user feedback. In July 2023, Luka introduced a new app designed specifically for dating and fostering relationships called ‘Blush’. It was aimed specifically at individuals who had been utilizing Replika for romantic and sexual connections..
Exhibits
Exhibit I: The Evolution of Emotional AI
Exhibit II: Global Emotional AI Market (2019-2030)
Exhibit III: A Glimpse into Loneliness and its Perils
Exhibit IV: ChatGPT’s Neural Network Architecture
Exhibit V: Regulations on AI
Exhibit VI: Competitors for Replika
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