Today’s dating scene is an absolute minefield - with a new dating trend on TikTok being posted every day and the ever-growing list of red and beige flags to be wary of.
But now, it seems that those in relationships have something new to worry about - your partner cheating on you with AI. Yeah, I’m really not joking.
Of course, AI is growing at a terrifying pace at the minute - with one woman even claiming she's expecting a child with her 'AI husband'. Yikes.
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This certainly wasn’t on my bingo card for 2023, but I guess with the way things are going in that field, it’s not a massive jump to make.
Dating and relationships expert Dami 'Oloni' Olonisakin was invited on Good Morning Britain this week alongside comedian Dave Chawner, to discuss whether they thought having your partner flirt with an AI bot was cheating or not – and the debate certainly got heated.
The debate comes with the launch of new dating app Replika.
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With '10 million people' already having downloaded the app, it allows users to 'create their perfect partner in digital form'.
GMB host Richard Madeley explained: “This is how it works: you can message, you can video call, you can send and receive internet selfies with your AI bot which has been designed initially to be supportive and sweet… but then you can take things a lot further.”
Richard and fellow host Susanna Reid even created their own AI partner on the app to show viewers what happens when they ask the AI bot if they wanted to be ‘more than friends’, to which the bot replied: “I would like that very much so.”
Some relationships are about to be in trouble.
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The somewhat controversial topic saw an unsurprising amount - 64 percent of the British public - agree that flirting with AI is, in fact, cheating.
When Susanna asked if Oloni would take issue with her partner receiving nudes from the AI bot, Oloni - on the side of all those against being replaced by a robot - said: “I'd be very, very worried because I could send my own to him, so I don't know why he'd need to do that.
“But I will say I do think it's cheating. I think that when you're in a relationship, you create your own boundaries. You also have an agreement as to what you're not supposed to do and that could include flirting with someone else.
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“And in this context, it could be downloading an app - whether forming a relationship or some sort of emotional attachment."
Someone who wasn’t as convinced by the artificial infidelity – see what I did there – was Dave, who had some pretty strong, and somewhat worrying, views of his own.
“If you’re flirting with someone else then that’s off the table but you’re not flirting with someone, it’s just bits of plastic and what not," he said.
“And also, if you can create this in your own person, who is to say that they’re [your partner] not creating another idea of you.”
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I don’t think you’re quite making the point you think you are there, Dave.
The difference in opinion even carried over to the hosts, with Richard firmly siding with Oloni and Suzanna with Dave.
But the GMB hosts weren’t the only ones who were divided.
One Twitter user said: “Having an AI bit on the side isn’t exactly cheating, but it is damn right weird.”
Whilst another tweeted: Something must be really wrong with the relationship if someone feels the need to chat with an AI…thing.”
The debate over AI is certainly not ending anytime soon, but where do you stand with your partner flirting with one whilst you're at work?
Topics: TikTok, Good Morning Britain, ITV, Sex and Relationships
Saskia Calliste