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Comment by luckylion | Hacker News Reader

> Online users are now more interested in engaging, up-to-date content rather than keeping up with their friends' activities. Platforms like TikTok and YouTube pioneered this trend, while Twitter's timeline modifications serve as a functional yet imperfect example.

Aren't users mostly forming parasocial relationships with "creators" and consider them friends, and want to be with those friends, regardless what they'll do?

I never understood the reaction videos and found them boring and stupid, if I wanted to have an idiot constantly pause the video and say something dumb that shows they didn't understand it, I'd watch it together with my 15yo self. But when I read discussions about it, users commented that they like it because it's something they can do "with" the content creator and they'll get signals to what their famous friend thinks about some topic etc.

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I think that's fair, but it's not like it's actually a 2-way relationship. It's just some approximation of one. One that is easier to consume and requires less commitment.

It all feels like the groundwork for "AI lovers" anyway. Our desire to reshape the world in our own view and to our own desires is how this feedback loop is going to be used. We do it now in social groups that are self-reinforcing, like churches, cults, interest related groups, workplaces (one team!) etc, but I think those will all become superfluous to our desire to just feel seen, heard and entertained. In a group you have to compete to have those needs met, in the future it might be easier to just get it from a robot that understands us far better, gives us undivided attention, and only responds in ways that elicit the feelings and experiences we want.

On the commercial level at least AI-personalized interaction. You'll actually be able to have a 2-way relationship with Justin Bieber, and he'll chat with you and comment on your goofy pictures, and message you late at night when he can't sleep. Or rather when the AI has estimated that him sending you a message about not being able to sleep because he's anxious because of the album release will increase the chances of you buying that album.

What will be the term? It's no longer just parasocial. Augmented Relationship?

I believe you're spot on with regards to it being easier to get positive social interactions from a robot. I don't think that's a bad thing either. Many social dynamics are close to winner takes all, and especially among teens often work by singling out someone and mercilessly attacking them to induce group cohesion. Opting out of that hell and having a nice chat with a bot instead? That'll be an improvement for the victims at the very least. The same goes for loneliness, I'd rather people talk to robots than to not communicate at all when they have a desire to interact with others but no means to.

Negative social interactions can be pretty damaging to people.

While I cannot relate to the idea of choosing to have a relationship with a robot, I can see why a lot of people would choose to opt out of the social sphere. All the abuse it hurls at them, why bother?

It's not going to seem strange to them at all.

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