One of the interesting things about The Diamond Age is that it's a story about the importance of personal connection even when interacting with an apparent AI.
In the story, three people get a copy of The Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, the AI storybook and teacher. Nell, our protagonist, and two neo-Victorian girls, Fiona and Elizabeth.
Nell's Primer is voiced by Miranda, an actress. She becomes attached to Nell and ends up becoming a sort of surrogate mother to Nell, but only by voicing lines through the Primer. Nell experiences a number of adventures, but ends up as a strong, independent young woman... a "good" ending.
Fiona is from a middle-class neo-Victorian family. Her father ends up in a weird drug cult, but somehow ends up voicing Fiona's primer. When she grows up, Fiona joins her father in a surrealistic acting troupe... a "medium" ending.
Elizabeth is from a very wealthy neo-Victorian family. Her Primer is random actors. They don't form a connection. Elizabeth rebels and runs away to join a criminal gang (of sorts)... a "bad" ending.
It seems obvious that people will form "personal" connections with LLMs. I've already heard a few stories about people forming attachments to AI avatars. I think it's part of the human psyche, just like pareidolia. I keep thinking back to this theme of The Diamand Age and wondering if those AI-driven connections will also lead to stunted emotional growth and bad ends.
In the story, three people get a copy of The Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, the AI storybook and teacher. Nell, our protagonist, and two neo-Victorian girls, Fiona and Elizabeth.
Nell's Primer is voiced by Miranda, an actress. She becomes attached to Nell and ends up becoming a sort of surrogate mother to Nell, but only by voicing lines through the Primer. Nell experiences a number of adventures, but ends up as a strong, independent young woman... a "good" ending.
Fiona is from a middle-class neo-Victorian family. Her father ends up in a weird drug cult, but somehow ends up voicing Fiona's primer. When she grows up, Fiona joins her father in a surrealistic acting troupe... a "medium" ending.
Elizabeth is from a very wealthy neo-Victorian family. Her Primer is random actors. They don't form a connection. Elizabeth rebels and runs away to join a criminal gang (of sorts)... a "bad" ending.
It seems obvious that people will form "personal" connections with LLMs. I've already heard a few stories about people forming attachments to AI avatars. I think it's part of the human psyche, just like pareidolia. I keep thinking back to this theme of The Diamand Age and wondering if those AI-driven connections will also lead to stunted emotional growth and bad ends.