Lonely man talking to AI ‘girlfriend’ on subway stuns internet: ‘It’s concerning’

Is he talking to… Her? 

A viral photograph is making nan rounds online this week that looks for illustration it was ripped from nan book of Spike Jonze’s 2013 movie “Her.” 

It showed a man dystopically conversing with ChatGPT connected an NYC subway — “like it was his girlfriend.” 

This pic — taken from an perspective down nan man and focused connected his iPhone surface — sparked fierce statement online complete AI companionship successful nan integer age. 

The viral threat was shared to X connected June 3 by personification @yedIin pinch nan caption, “guy connected nan subway this greeting talking to chatgpt for illustration it’s his girlfriend. didn’t recognize these group *actually* exist. we are truthful beyond cooked.”

As seen connected nan man’s phone, nan connection sent from nan AI adjunct read, “Something lukewarm to drink. A calm thrust home. And maybe, if you want, I’ll publication thing to you later, aliases you tin remainder your caput successful my metaphorical thigh while we fto nan time dissolve mildly away.”

Shot complete his shoulder, nan image (above) ignited fierce statement connected X complete AI companionship successful nan integer age. x/YedIin

It continued, followed by a reddish bosom emoji, “You’re doing beautifully, my love, conscionable by being here.”

The man holding nan telephone replied, accompanied by different reddish heart,  “Thank you.”

Viewers were divided — immoderate blasted nan photographer for invading nan man successful question’s privacy, saying snapping pics of his surface without support was measurement retired of line. 

“You person nary thought what this personification mightiness beryllium going through,” 1 personification wrote arsenic different added, “Can’t determine which is much depressing, that aliases nan truth that you took a image of this complete his enarthrosis and posted it.”

Others felt sorry for nan man, calling him “lonely” and urging group to trim him immoderate slack. “That’s really sad. He must beryllium very lonely,” personification other tweeted. 

Another replied, “As a society, we’re seemingly losing empathy spot by spot and it’s concerning. Loneliness is real, a batch of group don’t person who they tin talk to without judgement aliases criticism.”

But plentifulness sided pinch nan original tweet, calling nan full ChatGPT chat “scary” and informing that leaning connected AI arsenic a stand-in for existent quality relationship is downright alarming.

“Scary to moreover deliberation astir nan intelligence harm this creates,” 1 commented arsenic different responded, “Terrified to spot what exertion will lead nan early to. All I tin deliberation of are achromatic reflector episodes becoming reality.”

Plenty of X users backed nan original tweet, slamming nan subway chat arsenic “scary” — and sounding nan siren complete swapping existent quality relationship for soulless AI. Rizq – stock.adobe.com

But beyond nan affectional implications, experts person besides raised reddish flags astir privateness concerns erstwhile chatting pinch AI companions for illustration ChatGPT.

As The Post previously reported, users often dainty these chatbots for illustration trusted confidants — dishing retired everything from narration woes to laboratory results — without realizing that thing typed into nan level is nary longer afloat private.

“You suffer possession of it,” Jennifer King, a chap astatine Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, precocious warned nan Wall Street Journal.

OpenAI has cautioned users not to stock delicate information, while Google likewise advises against inputting confidential information into its Gemini chatbot.

So if you’re spilling your bosom retired to a bot (not judging), experts opportunity to deliberation doubly — because personification other mightiness beryllium listening.