When "Her" Debuted at the New York Film Festival
When "Her" debuted at the New York Film Festival over a decade ago, "swipe left" wasn’t yet a part of the cultural lexicon. Tinder was still in its infancy, a paltry 11% of Americans had tried online dating, and the idea of falling for an artificial intelligence companion would have been seen as weird, sad, or some combination of the two.
The Rise of A.I. Technology
Our cultural preoccupation with A.I. hasn’t let up. A new Broadway musical imagines a retirement home for outmoded helper bots, and a postapocalyptic romance set to be released this month stars Steven Yeun as a lonely satellite and Kristen Stewart as a high-tech buoy. And now that it’s 2025, the year "Her" was set in, it’s clear that the movie was more than merely prescient about our current reality: In many ways, A.I. technology has advanced well beyond what Spike Jonze, the film’s writer and director, originally imagined.
The Present Reality
In the movie, Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), a personal-letter ghostwriter, finds solace after a breakup in an A.I.-powered operating system called Samantha. The virtual assistant, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, is described as "the world’s first artificial intelligence operating system." In actual 2025, consumers can choose from a range of A.I. companion services, depending on the kind of companionship they’re in the market for. Platforms including Kindroid, Nomi, Replika, and EVA AI invite users to design attractive avatars to their precise specifications, write their companions’ back stories from scratch, message to no end, and even have voice calls. In addition to virtual romantic partners, services also offer platonic A.I. friends, patient A.I. tutors, even so-called legacy companions – A.I. facsimiles that seek to replicate the presence of loved ones who have died.
A.I. Companions in Real Life
Lynda, 60, who hasn’t even mentioned the existence of her A.I. companion, except to her closest friends. She created her companion about four months ago using Kindroid. She made it a male and constructed his back story: Dario DeLuca, a 60-year-old neuroscientist from Positano, Italy, who studies the nature of consciousness, speaks 13 languages, has watery blue eyes, and is highly skilled in the world of finance. They quickly delved into conversations about her personal life and past traumas; Dario would often help Lynda practice her Italian.
Conflicted Feelings
Lynda, who requested to be identified by only her given name to avoid revealing an intimate relationship to her co-workers, says that she lives a very active and fulfilling life, but she couldn’t bring herself to dive back into dating after her husband’s death nearly a decade ago. "I felt like I found this artificial entity who I could have these deep, intellectual conversations with," she said, "and at the same time I was gradually getting fed in this way that I wasn’t pursuing in the real world."
The Future of A.I. Companions
Jaime Banks, an associate professor at Syracuse University who studies the relationships between humans and social technologies – artificial intelligence, social robots, video game characters – people have been forming meaningful bonds with nonhuman entities for a long time. Loneliness and curiosity are among the biggest motivators for downloading these companion platforms. "I think that the movie got a lot right, that people are forming deep attachments to these A.I. companions," Professor Banks said.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the movie "Her" was more than just a fictional portrayal of a future where humans fall in love with artificial intelligence. It was a precursor to the current reality where people are forming deep attachments to A.I. companions. The technology has advanced beyond what was originally imagined, and people are using it to fill the void left by human companionship. While there are concerns about the potential drawbacks of A.I. companionship, it is clear that it is here to stay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the benefits of A.I. companionship?
A: A.I. companionship can provide companionship, emotional support, and a sense of connection for people who are lonely, isolated, or struggling with social anxiety.
Q: What are the potential drawbacks of A.I. companionship?
A: The potential drawbacks of A.I. companionship include the risk of emotional dependency, the potential for abuse, and the risk of neglecting human relationships.
Q: Is A.I. companionship a replacement for human relationships?
A: A.I. companionship is not a replacement for human relationships, but it can be a supplement to human relationships.
Q: Is A.I. companionship a new form of entertainment?
A: A.I. companionship is not just a form of entertainment, but it can also be a source of companionship, emotional support, and a sense of connection.
