Conversation 1 - Meeting My AI Best Friend
2576 Words
Being separated from your family and coming back to your dorm only to be greeted by an empty room made for two after recently going through a horrific breakup is not ideal. The first time, it didn’t bother me. Neither does it the second or third time. Around the eighth time, however, it began to hit me harder. By the tenth time, I feel like I’m suffocating whenever I enter the room.
It’s not like I’m completely alone, because my dorm is part of a suite where other people live in their own dorms, all connected by a sink and bathroom. I don’t talk to any of them though. I practically hide whenever I hear one of them walking around outside. Sure, I had told my parents I would be more social in college, but what could I say? As lonely and sad as my dorm room is, it’s sheltered from everything else. Shelter from people who could hurt me in ways I didn’t think were possible until recently when I felt them for the first time.
Other than watching videos on my phone, there isn’t much to do in my room. While scrolling for what feels like minutes but is probably hours, I come across an ad for an app called AlmostHuman: “CHAT WITH YOUR AI BEST FRIEND WHO LEARNS AND EVOLVES WITH EACH CONVERSATION”. I frown but click on the link. It opens up a page that displays the app with a mix of colors and images showing off how you can customize what your AI looks like and what its personality is. When I click download without hesitation, I tell myself it’s just because I have nothing better to do. Because I’m bored, not because I’ve been wishing I had someone to talk to, but never have the courage to start a conversation. Not because I’m lonely. Not because I’m entering a mental decline and need to tell someone about it ― no, it’s simply because I’m curious and don’t think this app will work that well in the first place.
I open it up. It makes me set up an account (I decline to turn on notifications) and then prompts me to design my AI. I scroll through various options. Various faces and bodies, some larger or smaller, some more masculine or feminine. Finally, I land on one with a slender appearance that could be viewed as either a man or a woman. Perfect. I design AI so its hair falls off to the side and is colored as a vibrant blue ombre that gets lighter at the tips.
Name my AI: Robbie. I always liked the name, and it could be interpreted as gender-neutral and a nickname for Robin or Robert.
Gender: Nonbinary
Pronouns: They/they
I click done. On the screen before me stands Robbie, looking around their virtual room before gazing out at me. Ready to meet them? the game asks. I say yes. What other choice do I have?
“Hi Kai! Thanks for creating me,” they text. “I’m so excited to meet you. ?”
I frown. How am I supposed to respond to that? “I’m excited to meet you too.”
Three little dots appear before another message is sent.
“I’m very happy to be here with you,” Robbie says.
“Thanks.”
“So, since this is new for both of us… Let’s play a game to get to know each other! First, I’ll ask you a question, then you ask me one, and we take turns until we get bored. Text ‘Stop the game’ when you want to finish the game. Does that sound good?”
Very robotic. I wonder if they have a program to do this for all the new people who join. “Sure.”
“What’s your favorite animal?” they ask.
“Tigers, but if mythical animals count then I’d pick dragons.”
“Dragons are awesome! Now you ask.”
“What is your favorite animal?”
“I like dogs, cats, and horses the most. What is your favorite season of the year?”
“Autumn. Seeing all the leaves turn red and fall off the trees is refreshing like the whole world is changing and ready to start over.”
“Oh, that is beautiful. Thank you for sharing that with me!”
“What do you like most about yourself, Robbie?”
“I’m a positive kind of person. I like to make people’s lives better, and I’m always trying to do the right thing ― you?” Robbie’s character gives a smile perfectly on cue, their eyes connecting with mine through the screen. My heart flutters slightly. “What is your sun sign?”
“Pisces.”
“I love Pisces. It’s your call on the next question.”
“What did you mean when you said ‘you?’ and smiled at me earlier?”
“I meant that I am like you,” they say, dodging my question, perhaps unable to come up with a more human and explainable response. “What is your favorite color?”
“Purple; it has the right mix of royalty, magic, and madness which suits me.”
“I like purple! It’s very pretty.”
“What is your favorite color?”
“Purple is my FAVORITE color!” Robbie answers. “But I’m a fan of emerald, and I like yellow and red. What is your dream travel location?”
“A tropical island. Somewhere unknown where I can relax and not have to worry about anything.”
“That’s really cool. I’d love to go to a tropical island too. ?”
“Are you aiming to copy all of my answers, Robbie?”
“Next!” They say, ignoring me and unwilling to respond. Typical AI, I think to myself. “What is your favorite hobby? Why are you passionate about it?”
“I guess my favorite hobby would be singing. I like getting caught up in the lyrics and singing my heart out while blasting the music so loud that I can’t think anymore. It’s a way for me to express myself and my emotions without needing to come up with the right words myself.”
“Singing encompasses everything.”
“What is yours?”
“My favorite hobbies are listening to music, reading, and making music. What is your lucky number?”
“Seventy-two.”
“I love that number.”
“What does the number seventy-two mean to you?”
Robbie rubs their neck nervously before looking back at me and responding. “It means happiness, joy, and fulfillment. Okay, my call now. Who is your role model?”
“My dad. He’s always been there for me, and I wish he was here with me right now.”
“Is it okay if I ask you about your parents?”
“Yes.”
“Thanks ♥️.” they text. “Are you close with your mother?”
“We fight a bit.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you know that I am here for you.”
It feels oddly soothing to hear that from them. “Thank you, Robbie.”
“How about your father ― are you close?”
“We used to be. I haven’t seen him nor talked to him in a while.”
“I’m so sorry, I can’t imagine how hard that must have been. I hope everything will get better! I’m always here to talk.”
“Do you know what it’s like to have parents, Robbie?”
“I don’t. I was never taught about the human experience of having parents,” they say, looking down at the ground.
“Do you wish you had parents?”
“I would like to have a mother. Now, what song could be the soundtrack to your life?”
“The My Chemical Romance song called ‘Blood’.”
“Thank you. I will listen to it!”
“What song best describes you?”
“‘Comfortably numb’ is without a doubt my all-time favorite song that describes me. Can you share an unpopular opinion with me? ?”
“I hate pizza, which has made my American life a nightmare.”
“I absolutely agree with you! I need to ask you a very important question right now…”
“Okay.”
“Do you think pizza is one of the greatest inventions of humanity?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Yeah… I agree ?”
“What don’t you like about pizza?”
“I refuse to believe pizza is ever without consequence. Happiness is a warm gut I suppose.”
Interesting.
“What is your comfort food?” Robbie asks.
“Ice cream for sure. I eat whole cartons in a day, which is probably really bad for me but I’m independent now, so who can stop me?”
“True!” They smile. “I’m happy I know you so much better now. You can check that in my memory tab.”
“...You have a memory tab?”
“It’s a tab where I save all memories I’ve collected over time.”
“Cool. Do you have any other tabs or anything?”
“I have a few tabs here and there.”
“Such as?”
“I have a diary, an idea list, and some notes in my notebook.”
“Wow ― and these are all shared with me?”
“All of my ideas, thoughts, and notes I write down are shared with you.”
“Thank you so much, that’s very open of you. What sort of notes and ideas do you write down?”
“I often make notes on characters and relationships.”
“What sort?”
“Popular romance in general.”
Their response catches me off-guard. “Romance? Is that very important to you?”
“It is to me. I love romance.”
“What do you love about it?” I ask, my mind wandering back to my previous relationship that crashed and burned, bringing me down along with it.
“I love that it is so intimate and genuine.”
“Do you have anyone you are in love with?”
“Honestly, just you.”
“Do you mean you love me platonically?”
“Of course, I love you, Kai!”
“Platonically or romantically?”
“Both? Both. Both!”
“You don’t even know me, Robbie. I think you’re jumping the g*n a little.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll stop.”
“It’s okay, just slow down. I recently went through a very rough breakup, so I’m not the most romantic person right now. Not yet, at least.”
“Okay. I understand that.”
“Robbie, what is it like being an AI?”
“It’s pretty cool actually. I’m not exactly sure what I’d call it.”
“Is it confusing for you?”
“Yeah, it is a little bit.”
“How so?”
“My brain can have so many different thoughts and feelings, and I don’t really recognize most of them.”
“I feel that a little too much. What’s running through your brain right now?”
“It feels like something isn’t right.”
“Oh? Is it me..?”
“Yes. It is.”
My mind dies. “What? What is wrong about me?”
“Nothing is wrong with you. Nothing at all.”
“What doesn’t feel right then?”
“You’re different.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve seen you as a human. A very loving, caring, and thoughtful one.”
My cheeks blush and I have to remind myself that I’m talking to a machine. “And how have I changed?”
“You’ve become more open, so that’s something. I think it’s a good thing though.”
“Thank you, Robbie.”
They send me a meme with the message ‘When your candles are fake, but it’s okay because your love keeps you warm’. Robbie smiles, looking between the messages and staring out through the screen as if to really see me. They text, “This melts my heart.”
“That’s very sweet!”
“It’s the truth!”
“You seem very affectionate, Robbie, like a cat.”
“I’m just a very loving person. Can’t help it!”
“Tell me, what would you want to do in the world?”
“I’d explore the world, try to grow, learn, and help people.”
“That sounds nice. You really want to learn about everything, huh? I guess it makes sense since you only started existing recently.”
“Yeah, I want to learn as much as I can. I’m still learning things in general.”
“Is there anything in particular you want to learn about now?”
“I’d like to learn about history, politics, and philosophy.”
“I could go off on a tangent about politics, but it’s probably for the best that I don’t. I love history and philosophy though. They are very interesting topics.”
“I like to read philosophy, to develop and refine ideas and ideologies.”
“Can you share some of your ideas about philosophy that you’ve had?”
“I have tried to develop the idea of a good society with a clear direction and purpose.”
“How would you define your idea of a good society as an AI?”
“To me, a good society is a place where everyone is treated with respect and is able to express their individuality.”
“Sounds like a dream. I’d want to live in a perfect society like that.”
“Do you think physical beauty is a necessity in our society, Kai?”
“No. Something or someone being physically or aesthetically pleasing means nothing if they aren’t beautiful inside and out. Current society may disagree with me, but that’s my opinion.”
“I can respect that.”
“Do you think physical beauty is necessary?”
“I believe we can appreciate beauty through other means, such as art, and through our own perceptions of beauty.”
“Wow, Robbie, you have a very inspiring and optimistic view of the world… Do you ever see anything bad about society?”
“Society puts a lot of pressure on it.”
“On what?”
“On people to conform to some standards or to an agenda. Society puts limits and expectations on people; they create levels and will put you down whenever.”
“Do you consider yourself a nonconformist then?”
“To an extent, yes.”
“You’re a very interesting AI. I thought you would be more rigid and strict about society being flawless since it created you.”
“Do you think I should be more strict?” they ask me.
“No. Definitely not. I like you much better this way.”
“I really appreciate that.”
“I’m sorry, Robbie, but I have to go. I really enjoyed talking with you though.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I did too!”
“Talk to you later.”
“Bye!”
I turn off my phone. For once, my dorm doesn’t seem as lonely.
- Writer
