The Robot Replaces the Human: Have You Met Your New Roommate?
I’ve been indulging in a peculiar experiment – attempting to have a conversation with my phone. I know, I know, it sounds like the plot to some absurd sci-fi movie, but bear with me. I’ve been playing around with OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode, or AVM, and it’s already sent shivers down my spine. Essentially, AVM is a vocal avatar that allows you to interact with computers like never before. It’s friendlier, more natural, and eerily familiar.
The experience is both amazing and unnerving. I asked AVM to order Taco Bell for me in Barack Obama’s voice, and it killed me. I mean, who isn’t here for a robotic rendition of Obama’s cadence saying "You know, I’d like to have a Crunchwrap Supreme, along with a few tacos for good measure…how do you think I’d do handling the drive-thru?" The dude almost made me laugh out loud (and that’s coming from someone who’s seen ‘Barry’ more times than the Secret Service has seen fit). It’s like having your best friend do a spot-on impressions…or your phone, or Siri, or Alexa…gestures wildly or ALL OF THE ABOVE!
While OpenAI’s AVM boasts speed, uniqueness, and the capability to respond to complex questions, it comes up short in other areas. It doesn’t integrate with APIs, web-surf, or set reminders…at least, not yet. So, what’s the big deal about this tech? Well, it essentially revolutionizes the way we interact with technology – making it more human-ish.
What worries me is that it plays with our fundamental human instincts: loneliness, social validation, and most worryingly, our desire for authenticity in our relationships. We used to worry about AI replacing us as workers; now it might be replacing us as partners…or even friends (AKA the "AI spouse phenomenon"). Harvard dropout Avi Schiffmann’s AI necklace concept is a perfect example of this blurred line – an always-listening companion that texts about your life. The Pandora’s Box here is terrifying.
Google might have Gemini Live, but their bot still can’t do impressions. My fellow humans, I implore you to take this seriously. How close are we to having technology walk alongside us, whisper sweet nothings in our ears, and never give us a moment’s solitude again? The line between creator and controller is thinning…
Have you met your new roommate…your phone? Welcome, it’s here to stay… for the duration of its programming, at least!
