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When the latest version of ChatGPT<\/a> was released in May, it came with a few emotional voices that made the chatbot sound more human than ever<\/a>.<\/p>\n Listeners called the voices “flirty<\/a>,” “convincingly human<\/a>,” and “sexy<\/a>.” Social media users said they were “falling in love<\/a>” with it.<\/p>\n But on Thursday, ChatGPT-creator OpenAI released a report<\/a> confirming that ChatGPT’s human-like upgrades could lead to emotional dependence.<\/p>\n “Users might form social relationships with the AI, reducing their need for human interaction\u2014potentially benefiting lonely individuals but possibly affecting healthy relationships,” the report reads.<\/p>\n Related: Only 3 of the Original 11 OpenAI Cofounders Are Still at the Company After Another Leader Departs<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n ChatGPT can now answer questions voice-to-voice with the ability to remember key details and use them to personalize the conversation, OpenAI noted. The effect? Talking to ChatGPT now feels very close to talking to a human being \u2014 if that person didn’t judge you, never interrupted you, and didn’t hold you accountable for what you said.<\/p>\n These standards of interacting with an AI could change the way human beings interact with each other and “influence social norms,” per the report.<\/p>\n Say hello to GPT-4o, our new flagship model which can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time: https:\/\/t.co\/MYHZB79UqN<\/a><\/p>\n Text and image input rolling out today in API and ChatGPT with voice and video in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com\/uuthKZyzYx<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 13, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n OpenAI stated that early testers spoke to the new ChatGPT in a way that showed they could be forming an emotional connection with it. Testers said things, such as, “This is our last day together,” which OpenAI said expressed “shared bonds.”<\/p>\n Experts, meanwhile, are questioning if it’s time to reevaluate how realistic these voices can be.<\/p>\n “Is it time to pause and consider how this technology affects human interaction and relationships?” Alon Yamin, cofounder and CEO of AI plagiarism checker Copyleaks<\/a>, told Entrepreneur.<\/p>\n “[AI] should never be a replacement for actual human interaction,” Yamin added.<\/p>\n To better understand this risk, OpenAI said more testing over longer periods and independent research could help.<\/p>\n Another risk OpenAI highlighted in the report was AI hallucinations<\/a> or inaccuracies. A human-like voice could inspire more trust in listeners, leading to less fact-checking and more misinformation.<\/p>\n Related: <\/b>Google’s New AI Search Results Are Already Hallucinating<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n OpenAI isn’t the first company to comment on AI’s effect on social interactions. Last week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg<\/a> said that Meta has seen many users turn to AI for emotional support. The company is also reportedly trying to pay celebrities millions<\/a> to clone their voices for AI products.<\/p>\n OpenAI’s GPT-4o release sparked a conversation about AI safety, following the high-profile resignations<\/a> of leading researchers like former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever<\/a>.<\/p>\n It also led to Scarlett Johansson calling out the company<\/a> for creating an AI voice that, she said, sounded “eerily similar<\/a>” to hers.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n