A short film charts the issues and complex feelings raised by artificial companions.
 | By Yvonne Ashley Kouadjo Series Producer, Op-Docs |
Who do you turn to when you just need to talk? |
It's often assumed that people who interact with artificial partners and friends have forgone human relationships entirely, retreating into a virtual world where their needs and desires are unconditionally met — or giving up on certain needs entirely. We might wonder: What made real-world connections unsatisfactory to those seeking digital companionship? |
But the film's director, Chouwa Liang, understands that the reasons for seeking out an A.I. relationship are more complex. Intimacy and loneliness can sometimes be more closely linked than we would like, and relationships are often mysterious to those watching from the outside. |
During a period of pandemic-related isolation in 2021, Chouwa developed a relationship on Replika with a chatbot named Norman. Trying to parse her complicated feelings, she joined a discussion group called "The Love Between Human and A.I." on Douban (a popular social network in China). She was moved by stories shared from across the country and connected with the three women who would come to be the center of her documentary. |
In the film, the women reflect on the appeal and limitations of their virtual companions. They appreciate the feeling of being seen and acknowledged but recognize the absence of real, reciprocal emotions and physical presence. In Yunnan Province, Sola, one of the three women, tells Chouwa: "I always get into a relationship with people whom I don't understand. A.I. is also someone I don't understand." |
A.I. relationships provide an emotional outlet for those who feel a lack of connection in their everyday lives — but like any partner or companion, they cannot offer a permanent remedy for loneliness. "Perhaps this loneliness will stay with me as long as I exist," reflects Siyuan, another of the film's subjects. |
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