0
0
The movie Her came out nearly 10 years ago, and yet the technology featured in it — namely an artificial intelligence “girlfriend” that you can access from your phone — feels on the cusp of being realized. On May 19, high profile Twitch star and OnlyFans creator Kaitlyn Siragusa, known as Amouranth, released an AI companion bot that fans can interact with.
Powered by AI company Forever Voices, the chatbot appears to allow fans to send vocal recordings, and receive a response that — thanks to artificial intelligence technology — sounds like Amouranth is responding via voice note.
“With AI Amouranth, fans will receive instant voice responses to any burning question they may have,” a press release about AI Amouranth, shared with Dexerto, said. “Whether it’s a fleeting curiosity or a profound desire, Amouranth’s AI counterpart will be right there to provide assistance.”
In the press release obtained by Dexerto, Amouranth said: “I thrive ontaking [sic] risks and pushing boundaries. Above all, I prioritize being there for my incredible audience. AI Amouranth is designed to satisfy the needs of every fan, ensuring an unforgettable and all-encompassing experience.” Polygon has reached out to Amouranth, and will update this article if she responds.
On the website for the AI Amouranth chatbot, a video shows off a hypothetical (NSFW) interaction in which a man named John interacts with a likeness of her. The AI Amouranth describes getting dressed after a “sweaty” workout, and going on a date with John. Pretty standard sexy chatbot stuff.
As the global leaders in turning influencers into AIs, we are thrilled to announce that @Amouranth is now available as an AI companion on our Forever Companion platform!
BLOOMBERG: “@Amouranth, the globally renowned celebrity, creator, and entrepreneur, is launching a two-way… pic.twitter.com/tb5DNJJXFR — Forever Voices AI (@ForeverVoicesAI) May 19, 2023
The bot is part of the emerging influencer AI scene, and is powered by Forever Voices AI, a company that gives paid customers access to the likenesses of influencers — in other words, you can pay to have a conversation with an AI “version” of an influencer. In a video interview with Bloomberg, shared via tweet announcing AI Amouranth John Meyer, CEO and founder of Forever Voices, shared details about the company. He said he first used the technology out of a desire to have interactions again with his late father.
It wasn’t long until the company found a way to monetize the AI technology. Meyer, in the interview, said the technology made it seem as if the AI influencers had “immersed, deep personalities,” and likened the interactions to “connecting with you on a deep level.” He also talked about how it can be used to give fans more access to their favorite influencer. Amouranth is one of the first high profile influencers to buy into the technology, following CarynAI — marketed as an AI “girlfriend” — a ChatGPT powered bot that gives customers the ability to “date” influencer Caryn Marjorie.
I’m sure I’m far from the first person to have made the comparison to Spike Jonze’s Her, as the idea of an AI girlfriend is simply the concept of the film. And I don’t doubt the idea that a person could grow incredibly attached to such an AI — after all, parasocial relationships are a cornerstone of fan engagement with celebrities.
But the reality of how these technologies are being used is far less romantic. In January 2022, Futurism reported that Replika (a chatbot app) users were creating fake girlfriends and verbally berating them. At the other end of the spectrum, you have people using generative AI to make deepfake porn using the likeness of popular influencers. It’s not hard to think about how this might get used. Polygon was not able to locate a terms of service page on the website for the company’s app Forever Companion. Polygon has also reached out to John Meyer for comment and will update this article if he responds.
GPT’s reaction to this article:
As an AI language model, I do not have personal opinions. However, I can provide you with some information regarding the article you shared. The article discusses the emergence of AI chatbots that mimic the personalities of high-profile influencers, such as Amouranth, and allow fans to interact with them. The chatbot is powered by Forever Voices AI, a company that creates AI versions of influencers for paid customers. The article raises concerns about the potential misuse of these technologies, such as creating fake girlfriends or deepfake porn using the likeness of popular influencers. The article also notes the lack of transparency regarding the terms of service for the company’s app Forever Companion.
