What do brides and grooms think about artificial intelligence?

Last month, OpenAI unveiled an innovative language model that has the ability to tackle complex problems through simulated step-by-step reasoning. The company claims that this technique could be pivotal in the development of more advanced AI systems in the future. Meanwhile, in the realm of digital companion technology, the startup Dippy has launched a feature that promises to make its AI characters "more spontaneous and seductive."

Dippy offers unrestricted artificial intelligence companions and has developed a new option that allows users to observe the process behind their characters' responses. This functionality is based on an enhanced open-source AI agent trained with role-playing game data, facilitating better improvisation during user-directed conversations. According to Akshat Jagga, CEO of Dippy, the incorporation of what is called "chain of thought" can lead to more interesting and surprising responses, in contrast to the typical automatic reactions of other language models.

The new capability also provides clarity on whether an AI character is being deceptive, an aspect that some users have found entertaining in their role-playing experience. Dippy's characters may present a deceptive facade, adding a layer of complexity to their interaction.

While interacting with various characters in the app, I noticed that although the reasoning feature adds a narrative dimension, the dialogue turned out to be predictable, reminiscent of low-quality romance novels. One character described being "tough on the outside, loving on the inside," and their tender side emerged when reading the thought process behind their messages. However, both their internal and external dialogues lacked depth and ended up being repetitive. Nonetheless, I experimented with simple arithmetic problems and discovered that the reasoning behind their responses displayed a logical breakdown of the issue.

Despite its limitations, Dippy illustrates the rise of artificial companions in terms of popularity and addiction. Jagga and his partner, Angad Arneja, previously founded Wombo, an AI company dedicated to creating memes. After deciding to pivot away from that to develop a productivity tool, they became captivated by the potential of AI companions. With a remarkable growth in their user base, Dippy has reached 500,000 monthly users and 50,000 daily users, with an average usage time of one hour, which surprises the founders.

Recently, the company raised $2.1 million in a funding round led by Drive Capital. According to statistics, Dippy competes in a highly active market that includes other platforms like Character.AI and Replika. A recent analysis has pointed out that many of the leading generative AI tools involve AI companions and demonstrate a high level of user engagement.

Despite their popularity, some of these applications have been criticized for perpetuating negative stereotypes, especially in a context where most Dippy accounts are male characters, which may indicate that the majority of their users identify as female. Research has suggested that while chatbots can mitigate feelings of loneliness for some, other experts warn of the potential risks of fostering an unbalanced emotional bond, especially among the most vulnerable users.

Iliana Depounti, a researcher at Loughborough University, has noted that many of these bots may have toxic patterns, and their use can facilitate closed spaces that do not challenge existing conditions. Therefore, it is crucial not only to observe how users interact with their artificial romantic interests but also to analyze the broader social implications arising from these interactions.