Like many others, I am currently fascinated and a little horrified by the rapid advances in AI. Although this technology seems to be useful, some applications remain questionable. Websites have replaced human writers with error-prone robots, Hollywood refuses to shield creative talent from technology, and AI-generated games are: Sumner There are red flags about bot plagiarism. The thing that worries me the most in the last few months is the existence of AI therapy.
Several services are now available that automate treatment in some way. Woebot is an “automatic conversation agent” positioned as a personal mental health tool. Users can check into it daily to have simple conversations with a chatbot that sends health tips and videos. Wysa, on the other hand, pairs users with both a human mental health expert and her AI coach to help process emotions. Given how much traditional therapy relies on actual human connection, the idea of automating it seems like a recipe for disaster.
There’s a reason I’m particularly intrigued by all of this.It’s because of a small visual novel called Eliza. Released in 2019, this indie masterpiece quietly predicted AI’s alarming move into the mental health field. It’s an excellent cautionary tale about the complexities of automating human connections, and one that tech entrepreneurs can learn a lot from.
Welcome to Eliza
Set in Seattle Eliza The work depicts a character named Evelyn Ishino Aubry who starts working for a new technology venture founded by a fictional Apple-like giant called Skanda. The company has created a virtual counseling app called Eliza that offers users relatively affordable AI-guided therapy sessions.
But Eliza is more than just a faceless chatbot. To preserve the human element of face-to-face therapy, the app employs a human surrogate who sits directly with the client and reads responses generated from the bot in real time. Skanda argues that because the methodology is based on science, the agent is prohibited from deviating from the script in any way. They are simply there to add a concrete face to the advice the machine spews.
The game resists the urge to present its ideas as an over-the-top dystopian concept. Instead, he chose a tone based on realism, similar to that of Spike Jonze. she. This raises serious and sensitive questions about automating human interaction ahead of its time. This 5-hour saga explores whether such AI applications are net profit, making something as expensive as medical treatment more accessible, or simply a major tech company that trades human interaction for profit. It asks whether it is an exploitative business decision made by
Players explore these questions as follows. Elizavisual novel system. Interaction is minimal here, with players simply choosing between Evelyn’s dialogue options. But it greatly affects her session. Throughout the story, Evelyn meets with a handful of customers who regularly subscribe to the service. Some are simply there to soliloquy about the drama without life stakes, while others have more serious issues to come to their service. Regardless of the severity of each individual situation, Eliza spits out the same flat script for Evelyn to read, asking repeated questions throughout the session and prescribing breathing exercises and medication.
The more Evelyn focuses on the lives of her clients, the more she sees the limits of technology. Some of Eliza’s go-to advice isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to every problem, and troubled clients start turning to real people for real help. Players are given the option of ignoring her script and letting Evelyn take matters into her own hands, but this has significant implications for both her work and the client’s well-being.
That’s not necessarily the correct answer. Some of her advice gives clients much-needed help, while others spiral further into vicious circles. Her words can be twisted in ways she doesn’t expect, but Eliza’s secure algorithms are built to prevent that. Is it safer to stick with a sterile script, or at least try to make a real connection? And will technology like this end up doing more harm than good? , or vice versa?
Eliza doesn’t answer these questions, it’s up to the player to figure them out. It’s a thoughtful examination of modern technology, and he’s dangerously close to the fictional technology of gaming, and it’s all the more urgent given the emergence of services like Wysa. Whether you’re an advocate for her AI tools like ChatGPT or a staunch opponent, Eliza offers thoughtful lessons about the limits of both machines and humans.
Eliza Available on PC and Nintendo Switch.
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