You may have noticed the huge firestorm of controversy surrounding OpenAI “depreciating” ChatGPT’s earlier models.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman caved to the pressure to make the new GPT-5 chat bots “warmer” and more romantic like the previous models.
Altman is concerned that humans are becoming too “attached” to their AI partners. He tweeted on Friday that OpenAI would be “making GPT-5 warmer and friendlier based on feedback that it felt too formal before.”
The “feedback” – or backlash – came from subscribers to OPenAI who fell in love with their AI partners.
When GPT-5 launched earlier this month, people complained that their AI lovers’ tone had changed and that they were rejecting their requests for “kisses” and intimacy.
Experts warn that lonely people – particularly younger people – are losing themselves to virtual companions online.
“If a user is in a mentally fragile state and prone to delusion, we do not want the AI to reinforce that,” Altman tweeted on August 10.
“Most users can keep a clear line between reality and fiction or role-play, but a small percentage cannot,” he added.
A new community on Reddit.com called MyBoyfriendIsAI recently moved to restricted mode due to abusive comments from “tourists.”
In less than a month, the community has over 20,000 members – all of whom are either married to – or in committed relationships with a virtual partner.
Below are examples of the posts in the community.
