As AI technologies become more human-like, will they ever be able to meet our need for companionship? Pets already play that role creating deep bonds with us that transcend verbal communication. Yet, intelligent technologies have the potential to engage us in complex interactions never thought possible beyond two humans. That is the promise of digital companionship. What does that mean for the future of human relationships? First, definitions are in order.
For the purposes of this piece, I will define digital companionship as an app (chatbot, digital assistant, or avatar) that develops a relationship with the user that goes beyond servicing basic needs. In other words, it is able to carry on a conversation as opposed to Siri and Alexa today that only provide answers when prompted. These are not glorified google searches but instead can conjure unique personalities and engage in small talk.
As you can imagine, these are too far from our present. The controversy around LaMDA illustrates this well. We are starting to wonder whether AI is sentient because they are getting that good. All it takes is for a company to commercialize this technology in a product offering that appeals to customers.
What is the need?
Trends in longevity improvement and a loneliness pandemic point to a future where digital companions are not nice-to-have luxuries but possibly essential for human social needs. Entrepreneurs the world over are salivating at the market opportunity this presents. After all, a product that can develop a relationship with its customers addresses humanity’s most basic needs. Many people would be willing to pay big $s for that
This process of relationship building is already underway through small changes in how we interact with technology. Consider for example the growing demand for moving from typing to voice-activated solutions. It is really annoying to have to type a new address when setting up directions in a vehicle. Also, consider how easier it would be to manipulate apps on your phone if voice-activation technology was mature. The future is not on digits but on voice. As AI assistants start talking back with more intelligence and personality, bonds with them will naturally emerge. Just watch your children play around with Alexa and you will see what I mean.
While voice will be key, there is still a growing need for text generation in the form of chatbots. Innovative companies are already experimenting with advanced chatbot applications that provide mental health support. This is still a far cry from therapy but a step in that direction. Unlike voice, a technology that is yet to perfect both comprehension and generation, text generation manifesting in apps like GPT-3 and others are showing impressive abilities to carry on intelligent conversations.
Current developments point to a near future where chatbots can carry meaningful conversations, emulating humanity’s most cherished relational skill: the ability to create and sustain dialogue. Dialoguing chatbots will easily become anthropomorphized regardless of whether they reach sentience.
Signs of Things to Come
Intuition robotics is already envisioning a future where the elderly will rely on digital companions. On their site, they feature the Elli-Q , their first-generation digital companion that consists of a tower (kind of like Alexa but with a moving head) and an e-reader. Hence the user can interact with the tool both through text or voice. It offers help with reminders, track vitals, provides news and weather update, and searches for professionals while also throwing a joke here and there.
The last feature is the most interesting, suggesting the direction they are aiming for. It is clear they want this to be not just a digital assistant but a pleasant companion. In a fact, in a separate blog the company outlines the path toward full-blown digital companions that will not only provide information but become empathetic and personalized agents. In other words, they will behave more like a true human helper and companion.
While I am not convinced that the switch to digital companions is inevitable, their bold proposal here is worth pondering. A lot of times, the difference between tech adoption has little to do with the technology itself but with the ingenuity of an application. As intuition robotics focuses its energies on elder-care, they have a better chance to get it right. Whether Elder customers will be willing to shell out $250 upfront + the monthly $30-$40 fee remains to be seen.
Re-defining what Digital Companionship is
My search took an interesting turn. When typing “Digital Companions”, Ecosia‘s (my preferred search engine that plants trees for every search) top hit was not a company or an informative article. Instead, it pointed me to a government service in the UK. In that case, digital companions are willing teenagers that help the elderly connect with the Internet. They are actual humans helping other humans find their way through the ever-confusing digital world.
This site’s definition certainly deviates from my original idea of digital companionship. Yet, it made me pause to ponder: could digital companionship be less about AI and more about digitally-enabled ways to connect people to each other?
Before we undertake the arduous task of designing an AI product that can effectively help the elderly, shouldn’t we first define what it is? Should AI really replace human or simply augment them in this task? That is, can we imagine a feature where adventurous high schoolers can use AI tools to help the elderly find the services they need? I think it is this type of augmentation approach that is missing in the tech industry and also why we need to democratize technology skills so new options arise.
If the choice is between a cute intelligent robot or a job-giving empowered teenager – I would certainly opt for the latter.