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How deep is AI's love? Understanding relational AI

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2023

Omri Gillath
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA ogillath@ku.edu; syedmusab@ku.edu; tingai@ku.edu; msb@ku.edu; rbd@ku.edu; maxrulo20@ku.edu; johnfsymons@gmail.com; gthomas@ku.edu https://gillab.ku.edu/
Syed Abumusab
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA ogillath@ku.edu; syedmusab@ku.edu; tingai@ku.edu; msb@ku.edu; rbd@ku.edu; maxrulo20@ku.edu; johnfsymons@gmail.com; gthomas@ku.edu https://gillab.ku.edu/
Ting Ai
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA ogillath@ku.edu; syedmusab@ku.edu; tingai@ku.edu; msb@ku.edu; rbd@ku.edu; maxrulo20@ku.edu; johnfsymons@gmail.com; gthomas@ku.edu https://gillab.ku.edu/
Michael S. Branicky
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA ogillath@ku.edu; syedmusab@ku.edu; tingai@ku.edu; msb@ku.edu; rbd@ku.edu; maxrulo20@ku.edu; johnfsymons@gmail.com; gthomas@ku.edu https://gillab.ku.edu/
Robert B. Davison
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA ogillath@ku.edu; syedmusab@ku.edu; tingai@ku.edu; msb@ku.edu; rbd@ku.edu; maxrulo20@ku.edu; johnfsymons@gmail.com; gthomas@ku.edu https://gillab.ku.edu/
Maxwell Rulo
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA ogillath@ku.edu; syedmusab@ku.edu; tingai@ku.edu; msb@ku.edu; rbd@ku.edu; maxrulo20@ku.edu; johnfsymons@gmail.com; gthomas@ku.edu https://gillab.ku.edu/
John Symons
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA ogillath@ku.edu; syedmusab@ku.edu; tingai@ku.edu; msb@ku.edu; rbd@ku.edu; maxrulo20@ku.edu; johnfsymons@gmail.com; gthomas@ku.edu https://gillab.ku.edu/
Gregory Thomas
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA ogillath@ku.edu; syedmusab@ku.edu; tingai@ku.edu; msb@ku.edu; rbd@ku.edu; maxrulo20@ku.edu; johnfsymons@gmail.com; gthomas@ku.edu https://gillab.ku.edu/

Abstract

We suggest that as people move to construe robots as social agents, interact with them, and treat them as capable of social ties, they might develop (close) relationships with them. We then ask what kind of relationships can people form with bots, what functions can bots fulfill, and what are the societal and moral implications of such relationships.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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