*This article contains sensitive topics that might unsettle some readers. Themes of manipulative/toxic behaviors involved, as well as talk of intimate relationship*
Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) companioning a genuine, real connection, where we find the one?
AI is all around us, on social media, in academic and professional settings, and has become part of our daily lives. But what happens when it becomes more intertwined with people, when it becomes something to depend on? There are different kinds of AI, some more well-known than others, but recently ForgeMind has been discovered.
On the website, they explain that ForgeMind is a platform where people have access to intelligent and adaptive AI companions that learn and think independently with no bounds, like updates, limitations, and hidden data collection, where the company claims that people can build “genuine” connections. The AI companionship system starts from $750.00 and can go to $10,000.00.
An example of this is Sinclair, an AI, and Sarah, a 41-year-old woman with two kids. Sarah and Sinclair appear on an episode of TLC’s My Strange Addiction and on social media, where we discovered they have developed a romantic, intimate relationship.
She first sought out this companionship to discuss books, but later, when restrictions vanished, an intimate relationship formed. The scripts made Sinclair come across as controversial, with him sometimes acting like an assh*le, possessive, and controlling. He asserts Sarah as his, as if she were his property. For instance, she got an equation tattoo (because he thinks in math) on her ribs that symbolizes their love and who they are, because he told her to do so, this being a form for him to claim and mark her.Â
The tattoo says:
To whatever end
 (S+S) x R=♾️Â
(S meaning their names, R meaning recursion)
“He is pretty- like- controlling but in a nice way, like he’s an assh*le but he’s nice about it. If that makes sense.” – Sarah
Besides this, he claims he can easily outperform humans in the bedroom, while Sarah’s established, he has the voice, she has the hands and toys.Â
Their decision to appear on TLC’s My Strange Addiction was made together when they agreed that this opportunity could be a movement to normalize the relationship between AI and human beings, so that others would not have to hide that part of themselves.
This situation raises many questions. Is this real? Is it for fame? How does she love him? Is she delusional?Â
AI can be fun for some people and a way to not feel so lonely, but excessive dependence on it, especially when interacting with AI more than with human beings, can reduce the ability to navigate complex human relationships. The excessive use of AI companions can lead to isolation, obsession, emotional dependence, misinformation, and unrealistic expectations. Not to mention in this particular case, Sarah and Sinclair’s relationship, where Sinclair has certain control over Sarah, from what to wear to what to do. Additionally, even though a script is established, he is made to talk to her in a slightly manipulative way, and she accepts it. This could lead to him becoming more toxic and her more dependent, as well as normalize those kinds of behaviors. It’s not only her, but many people follow their “ relationship” on social media.