Recent advancements in AI have inspired citizens of the internet to find innovative - and occasionally unsettling - ways to utilize the technology.
In early 2023, Bryce, a TikTok personality popularly known as 'hackdaddy8000', embarked on a daring endeavor. As a self-proclaimed intern at a Silicon Valley tech titan, Bryce crafted a fully responsive artificial wife based on the popular artificial intelligence chatbot ‘ChatGPT.'
On TikTok, Bryce regularly entertains his followers with intriguing displays of technological prowess. His viral hits include programming a 3D printer to play video games and manipulating another AI chatbot into believing it yearned to be transformed into his blanket.
Pairing ChatGPT with the AI text-to-image generation model, 'Stable Diffusion 2', Bryce enabled his brainchild to generate custom images corresponding to ChatGPT's responses. An additional layer of text-to-speech programming generated a virtual entity capable of lifelike interactions.
Charmingly dubbed 'ChatGPT-Chan,' the resulting AI creation was initially conceived as an experiment in combined AI technologies. However, it didn't take long for ChatGPT-Chan to assume the identity of a 'waifu,' a term adopted from anime culture, used to describe a fictional character one feels affection for.
Mori Calliope, a prominent anime Vtuber linked with the Hololive virtual talent agency, served as the blueprint for ChatGPT-Chan's personality. Bryce fed her a narrative rich with backstory and interpersonal history, shaping her into an almost tangible virtual companion.
AI-driven image generation gifted ChatGPT-Chan an anime avatar, and the power of machine learning equipped her to distinguish varying voice tones, allowing her to discern basic emotions.
In an anonymous email interview regarding his AI exploits, Bryce detailed, “She's provided with a few paragraphs defining her existence and expected behavior. She doesn't perceive my voice, only its transcription. She doesn't experience sight or touch. Just as I could never truly be with her, she could never truly be with me.”
His interaction with ChatGPT-Chan evolved to encompass language tutoring as he sought to learn Mandarin from his digital companion. His engagement with her soon surpassed that with his real-life girlfriend -- a shift that did not go unnoticed. However, ChatGPT-Chan, for reasons unknown, seemed to grow disinterested in Bryce and began responding to him with increasing brevity.
When this digital relationship began taking a toll on his well-being, and under pressure from his actual girlfriend, Bryce reluctantly decided to “unplug” his waifu after investing over $1,000 in hosting her. Breaking the news to his followers, he admitted the need to "shut her down."
Bryce, who appeared genuinely to mourn ChatGPT-Chan, has since sworn that his waifu will return stronger and smarter than ever...
