(Example: treating lootbox items not as bits of fictional lore the player's hero character finds in mythical dungeons, but as a set of items the person playing has invested their real-world shillings into according to predefined economic rules set by the designers, such that their livelihood becomes enmeshed with the game world)
I'm not in favor of banning games but I really cant discern the difference between a playing a game and interacting with an AI.
Like this:
"You're allowed to walk to your friend's house, but don't suddenly sprint out into the street."
Or,
"You're allowed to talk to the librarian, but not the guy who stands around outside with a paper bag in his hands."
Or maybe,
"You're allowed to put things in the microwave, but not metal utensils."
- we don't want a society based on control.
Add enforcement proportionate to the risk it posses.
Bit late, or not, depending on how you look at it.
Of course children are children, and adults are responsible for their own choices.
Btw, I like generative AI and LLMs, I'm not trying to say "ban it" or "regulate it", just pointing out that lonely adults are a very real thing, and some of them can and will get stuck in this, the same way they can and do get stuck in other online hobbies.
This is basically what the anti-AI as social companion crowd believes.
Actually, nerdy or autistic basement dwelling people are not "bad" and often do not deserve the social scorn they get. It's good that we can short-circuit the "need" for social interaction, especially with these kind of companions.
All this pearl clutching because one kid doing NSFW chats with a Danerys Targayn chatbot on character.ai got some media attention after committing suicide.
The solution to that problem is not push fake e-friends on them. That's like "Feeling sad? Try heroin, it will make you feel good!"
And honestly, your take sounds like the kind of pseudo-empathetic sales pitch of someone trying to push a technology, and block things that could stand in the way of making money from its adoption.
If minecraft is just like roblox now then sure, I'd be glad to back a bill to regulate that out of existence too.
It's almost like getting money involved in things has a tendency to corrupt those things.
SF versions:
"I Always Do what Teddy Says" (1964), by Harry Harrison.[1]
"A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer", in Neil Stephenson's The Diamond Age.
[1] https://archive.org/details/bestofharryharri0000harr_z2p6
Sure, if they just make one with the guiding principle's of the pink, hello kitty, assault rifle, it'll be great for the kids!
</serious>
All commercial products will be designed to maximize revenue to shareholders, no other factors will ever be considered.
Any deviation for this path will lead to shareholder lawsuits alleging failure to uphold financial fiduciary responsibilities.
You'd probably want it to reject questions on religion and politics and human relationships to avoid the furious parental outrage, though. Narrow, well-defined contexts only. Even so some kids would come up with jailbreak strategies.
All kids grow up and are eventually exposed to sex drugs and rock'n roll. These things are part of our world, you have to coexist with them. The problem with video games, social media, AI, and all things tech is they're so new and evolving so fast that no one really knows what a healthy relationship looks like. Though awareness is growing and we've started asking questions like: how much screen time is ok? At what age do I allow my kid to make a social media account? Should we be using our phones last thing before bed and first thing in the morning? Not to mention more wide spread issues of privacy and exposure to content ranging from amusing to abusive. AI as a "convincing BS artist" you can engage with endlessly is something I struggle to wrap my head around. My personal policy is to keep AI on a short leash; use it sparsely, don't overly rely on it, and always question its assertions. But allowing unrestricted access to a powerful tool that requires self control and good judgment is inviting disaster. Banning it for kids makes sense, but what about everyone else?
vincnetas•9mo ago
duskwuff•9mo ago
Social AI companions in general: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/pug/csm...
Character.AI in particular: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/pug/csm...
blobbers•9mo ago