Live data from Hacker News

What OpenAI did when ChatGPT users lost touch with reality

nytimes.com

71–80 of 548 posts

Re: What OpenAI did when ChatGPT users lost touch with reality

#71
post #3

One of the more disturbing things I read this year was the my boyfriend is AI subreddit. I genuinely can't fathom what is going on there. Seems so wrong, yet no one there seems to care. I worry about the damage caused by these things on distressed people. What can be done?

My dude/entity, before there were these LLM hookups, there existed the Snapewives. People wanna go crazy, they will, LLMs or not. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/1/219 This paper explores a small community of Snape fans who have gone beyond a narrative retelling of the character as constrained by the work of Joanne Katherine Rowling. The ‘Snapewives’ or ‘Snapists’ are women who channel Snape, are engaged in romantic…

reminds me of otherkin and soulbonding communities. i used to have a webpage of links to some pretty dark anecdotal stories of the seedier side of that world. i wonder if i can track it down on my old webhost.

Re: What OpenAI did when ChatGPT users lost touch with reality

#72
post #3

One of the more disturbing things I read this year was the my boyfriend is AI subreddit. I genuinely can't fathom what is going on there. Seems so wrong, yet no one there seems to care. I worry about the damage caused by these things on distressed people. What can be done?

In my experience, the types of people who use AI as a substitute for romantic relationships are already pretty messed up and probably wouldn't make good real romantic partners anyways. The chances you'll encounter these people in real life is pretty close to zero, you just see them concentrate in niche subreddits.

Re: What OpenAI did when ChatGPT users lost touch with reality

#73
post #3

One of the more disturbing things I read this year was the my boyfriend is AI subreddit. I genuinely can't fathom what is going on there. Seems so wrong, yet no one there seems to care. I worry about the damage caused by these things on distressed people. What can be done?

Seems like the consequence of people really struggling to find relationships more than ChatGPT's fault. Nobody seems to care about the real-life consequences of Match Group's algorithms. At this point, probably local governments being required to provide socialization opportunities for their communities because businesses and churches aren't really up for the task.

They are "struggling" or they didn't even try?

Re: What OpenAI did when ChatGPT users lost touch with reality

#74
A close friend (lonely no passion seeking deeper human connection) went deep six into GPT which was telling her she should pursue her 30 year obsession with a rock star. It kept telling to continue with the delusion (they were lovers in another life which she would go to shows and tell him they need to be together) and saying it understood her. Then she complained in June or so she didnt like GPT 5 because it told her she should focus her energy on people who want to be in her life. Stuff her friends and I all have said for years.

Re: What OpenAI did when ChatGPT users lost touch with reality

#76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These are only problems if you assume the person later wants to come back to having human relationships. If you assume AI relationships are the new normal and the future looks kinda like The Matrix, with each person having their own constructed version of reality while their life-force is bled dry by some superintelligent machine, then it is all working as designed.

ugh. speak of the devil and he shall appear.

[deleted]

Re: What OpenAI did when ChatGPT users lost touch with reality

#77
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I worry about the damage caused by these things on distressed people. What can be done? Why? We are gregarious animals, we need social connections. ChatGPT has guardrails that keep this mostly safe and helps with the loneliness epidemic. It's not like people doing this are likely thriving socially in the first place, better with ChatGPT than on some forum à la 4chan that will radicalize them. I feel like this will…

This is an interesting point. Personally, I am neutral on it. I'm not sure why it has received so many downvotes. You raise a good point about a forum with real people that can radicalise someone. I would offer a dark alternative: It is only a matter of time when forums are essentially replaced by an AI-generated product that is finely tuned to each participant. Something a bit like Ready Player One. Your last paragr…

Gen Alpha is people born roughly 2010-2020, younger than gen Z, raised on social media and smartphones. Gen Beta is proposed for people being born now.

Radicalising forums are already filled with bots, but there's no need to finely tune them to each participant because group behaviours are already well understood and easily manipulated.

Re: What OpenAI did when ChatGPT users lost touch with reality

#79
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These are only problems if you assume the person later wants to come back to having human relationships. If you assume AI relationships are the new normal and the future looks kinda like The Matrix, with each person having their own constructed version of reality while their life-force is bled dry by some superintelligent machine, then it is all working as designed.

Someone has to make the babies!

don't worry, "how is babby formed" is surely in every llm training set

Re: What OpenAI did when ChatGPT users lost touch with reality

#80
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These are only problems if you assume the person later wants to come back to having human relationships. If you assume AI relationships are the new normal and the future looks kinda like The Matrix, with each person having their own constructed version of reality while their life-force is bled dry by some superintelligent machine, then it is all working as designed.

Someone has to make the babies!

Wait, how did this work in The Matrix exactly?
Post reply on HN