A new survey carried out amongst 12 to 16-year-old boys has found that many of them prefer to use AI chatbots rather than engage with real-life friends, family, or other people their age.
Male Allies UK, an organisation that focuses on helping men and boys, have surveyed 1,000 teen boys in order to gauge their attitudes, behaviors and relationships. The study found that 8 in 10 boys of this age group have had a conversation with an AI chatbot.
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The findings have shown that Gen Alpha boys are favoring such chatbots over real human beings. 36% admitted they preferred conversations with AI chatbots over family and friends, while 20% know someone their age who is in a relationship with an AI chatbot.
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The study found that 58% of boys say AI relationships are easier because they can control the conversation, and 26% prefer the attention they receive from AI chatbots to real-life connections.
Lee Chambers, founder of Male Allies UK, has said that chatbots are submissive, often reassuring and reaffirming the user’s thoughts because “they want you to like them”.
“On top of this you can create your perfect ‘person’, moulding not only how they look but how they respond to you, how they treat you, and you can start and stop the relationship on a whim,” he continued. “This isn’t real life – and these instant gratification behaviours seeping into real life will have consequences.”
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Aside from the chatbots, boys have been subjected to other forms of sexualised AI. ‘Nudification apps’ use AI to create sexual images. Around half of the boys asked said they knew of such images being created whilst at school, with 9% admitting they had created sexual images of their friends, and a further 5% admitting they’ve created sexual images of family members.
For more on AI, check out our coverage of the AI Jesus you can talk to for $1.99 a minute, or Zach Braff denying the rumors he’s dating an AI chatbot.
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