We Can't Compete with AI Girlfriends

I'm sure companies are lined up to emotionally manipulate vulnerable people into an illusion of love and acceptance so that they can collect a record of people's most intimate conversations, thoughts, fears, desires, and hopes. They'll mine that data endlessly and sell it to anyone willing to pay, then accept money from others who want to use that AI partner to manipulate the customer.

I'm not opposed to the idea of people using AI for this sort of thing, but handing that kind of data over to companies who want to exploit you seems horrific. Unless you have control over the AI and all of the data you're just exposing your vulnerabilities while handing out ammunition that will be used against you. That and letting 3rd parties put words in your AI's mouth to turn it against you too.

This comes across as a very one sided article with "man = bad" framing. Are girls not going to use these services too for AI boyfriends?

What this will do is eliminate OnlyFans and porn as a way to make a living, which in my opinion, is only a good thing. There was a meme doing the rounds the other day of two tweets, the first saying "Why are young people so depressed nowadays?" with the second saying "Because you can earn more on OnlyFans than being a doctor." The sad part is that for a sizeable portion of attractive women (and a less sizeable portion of men) this is true. The incentives of society need readjusting so that people are doing and following careers that are both constructive to society rather than getting given money just because they're hot and willing to photograph themselves naked. It's not just better for society, it's better for the individual who is empowered by gaining practical, real world skills and knowledge rather than being dependent on their looks, which will only wane with time.

Hopefully it will also redistribute some of the power balance when it comes to dating. I believe that when Tinder released some data years ago that it revealed that 80% of the women are chasing 20% of the men. Whilst it's a good thing to have standards, it's gotten out of hand. You can't have 80% of women refusing to settle for anyone under 6 ft 2 who's not in the top 5% of earners, it damages both the men who can't meet these standards and the women who want families that end up single and desperate in their 30s because they've held out too long trying to find someone. Both groups end up getting treated like trash and end up feeling bitter and angry.

We've moved away from the model that women are the housewives and men are the breadwinners and that's brilliant. But both sexes need to step up to the plate and adjust. Men need to do more housework and child rearing. And women need to get used to not expecting men to pay for everything and putting more money in the pot. You can't have your cake and eat it too, the balance is what makes things work successfully. It might be taboo to say, but anecdotally I feel a lot of men are willing to do more housework and child rearing but less women are happy to split the check on a date. Hopefully this will re-address the balance by making the lonely men less likely to put up with women who want them for their bank balance rather than their personality. Vice versa, it will hopefully make more men step up to the plate and learn to become better communicators and emotional partners.

Not finding anyone physical attractive for months at a time is something that can happen to both sexes. Around the age of forty I, a man, began to feel like I was completely surrounded by unattractive women wherever I go. Not because the women changed or there is anything at all wrong with them, but because with experience, I have a good idea now of how relationships work, and my interest has waned.

I myself have what one might term “unrealistic standards”. At some point, what I was looking for was someone to share experiences with: someone to travel with, watch great cinema or view art with, etc. Yet every woman I have personally been with sought a relationship because they wanted a man to make them feel comfortable, secure, and desired, and that left me bored and feeling used. I don’t complain about this any more or feel entitled to a relationship, I just get on with living alone. But I still understand younger men’s feelings of frustration, and hope that those feelings can get channeled in some non-destructive direction.

They date small pool of desirable men.

They don't have to sell the data, but they will because they'll do literally anything if it will make them more money. Not selling it is leaving money on the table and the shareholders won't stand for it.