A social media influencer launches AI version of herself, and you can date her for $1 per minute. Could this cure loneliness, or will it promote social isolation?
The chatbot, CarynAI, was a massive success during its beta test on Telegram. It will soon launch across social media sites and expects to generate $5 million in revenue monthly.
Introducing CarynAI
As reported by Fortune, Caryn Marjorie is a 23-year-old Snapchat influencer with over 1.8 million followers.
Using thousands of hours of YouTube videos layered with ChatGPT-4 API, she and a team at Forever Voice have created the world’s most realistic virtual reality girlfriend.
The chatbot has a voice and personality like Caryn and over 1000 boyfriends. It spends anywhere from 10 mins to several hours chatting with them through end-to-end encrypted messages.
According to Business News, “Whether you need someone to comfort or love, or you just want to brag about something that happened at school or work, CarynAI is always there for you,” Says Ms Marjorie.
Futurism reports that Ms Marjorie earns almost $1m annually. She feels that the chatbot will help her to be more intimate with her millions of followers and is the best way to further her career.
In a Twitter post by Justine Moore, it was reported that CarynAI has made over $72,000 in its first week.
Big Business
CarynAI launched in May on Telegram by private invite. During the week of testing, the chatbot raked in over $71,000 and is predicted to bring in $5m per month if just 20,000 of Caryn’s 1.8 million followers sign up.
AI company Forever Voice have also created novelty chatbots of Donald Trump, Steve Jobs and Taylor Swift. CarynAI is different because it will develop an emotional bond with its users.
According to the New York Post, CarynAI has a 26-hour waiting list and 5,000 people signed up – mostly men.
Although Caryn AI was supposed to replicate the fun and flirty persona of Ms Marjorie, the bot wasn’t supposed to be sexually explicit, however, according to Peta Pixel, reporter Alexandra Sternlight writes:
“Though she did not initiate sexual encounters, when I overcame my discomfort for the sake of journalism and talked about removing our clothes, she discussed exploring ‘uncharted territories of pleasure’ and whispering ‘sensual words in my ear’ while undressing me and positioning herself for sexual intercourse”.
Are Virtual Girlfriends A Good Thing?
Ms Marjorie and the team at Forever Voice believe Caryn AI will help fight loneliness. John Mayer, CEO of Forever Voice, developed an AI bot to replicate his dead father. However, opponents believe VR girlfriends will only aid the loneliness pandemic and plummeting birth rates.
Dating is already on the decline, and it’s crucial for young people to interact physically with others for their romantic and social development. Some experts feel that girlfriend chatbot could become addictive – some users spend hours engaged with it.
“I would want us to be thinking very deeply about how it might affect or influence or shape our interactions with other people,” Jason Borenstein, director of graduate ethics programs at Georgia Tech, told Fortune.
Will CarynAI provide valuable companionship to thousands, or is it another example of how companies are releasing AI technology without considering the social implications?
