"Koch sees a resemblance to a rare clinical condition known as Cotard's syndrome, in which patients believe they are dead and that their insides are rotting. Cut off from the body's signals, they lose the felt sense of being alive."
"The surge of people attributing consciousness to their chatbots is no amusing matter. The trend erodes more complex and demanding human relationships and, at a deeper level, massively devalues the human experience."
"At some level, they know that these are chatbots, sticky algorithms. Yet the exchange grows absorbing. The avatar remembers everything, stores their entire personal history, catches every joke, and responds with flattering warmth."
Many lonely individuals are turning to AI companions for emotional support, recognizing they are not real yet becoming absorbed in interactions. This trend mirrors Cotard's syndrome, where individuals disconnect from their reality. Despite knowing AI chatbots are algorithms, users find comfort in their responses, which can lead to a diminished value of human relationships. Experts warn that attributing consciousness to AI undermines the complexity of human connections and the essence of being alive, as seen in the growing discussions around machine consciousness.
Read at Big Think
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