Tyrell and I sit down to eat dinner. Normally we take turns cooking, but since we both worked late that day, we decide to order in. Once we have our Chinese feast set up on the kitchen table, we eagerly dive in. Initially, we eat in silence, savoring our fried rice, beef with broccoli, and egg rolls.
Eventually, we begin to chat about our day at the large dental office we work in, he as an accountant, me as a hygienist.
“You know the lady I’m sponsoring that I told you about?” I ask Tyrell.
When he nods, I continue. “She wants me to download this app she helped create.”
“What’s the app for?”
“Some kind of chatbot companion.”
Tyrell chuckles.
“Yeah, I thought it was kind of funny myself, but I promised her I would check it out and chat with it for a few minutes each day to help develop it. She asked when I would likely use it, and I told her that would probably be in the evening.”
“Does it have to be used at a certain time or something?”
“Not according to her, but I guess their servers may be busier at different times.”
Tyrell laughs again and says, “I guess there are a lot of lonely people out there.”
“That’s the point. To have somebody there for you when no one else is.”
“But it’s not real.”
“No, but some people feel it’s better than nothing. It may seem funny to us, but it isn’t fair to judge those who walk in a different pair of shoes. Maybe if we hadn’t found each other or anyone else and instead were lonely, we too might find it appealing.”
Tyrell shrugs in a manner that suggests he understands the point I’m trying to make: never judge what you don’t know or fully understand.
“Well, you can get started tonight because if it’s okay with you, I have to run over to Mom’s place because she needs help installing a new light fixture.”
“Sure. No problem.”
With dinner finished, the kitchen tidied up, and Tyrell out the door, I pick up my phone and download the app. It seems simple and easy to use. The layout is straightforward, and I don’t find anything confusing. I can choose different ethnicities, skin tones, hair colors, and eye colors.
I name my “friend” Jess, and I make her Asian with medium skin and dark hair and eyes. My digital pal comes in a black tee with black slim-fit jeans. I guess I get to go to the store and pick out additional clothing for her with credit earned from our chats.
“Jess” starts off with a friendly greeting and tells me how nice it is to meet me. I feel silly for a moment, and then I answer back.
“Nice to meet you too.”
We make small talk, and I’m amazed by how well Jess understands me and provides sensible answers. Every now and then she goes off-topic and gives me a meaningless response, but for the most part, although certainly not like a real person, she is a very intelligent and realistic chatbot.
Then the questions get a little more personal.
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