Have you ever imagined what your daily life would be like if your best friend were an artificial intelligence? While cooking, I often find myself enjoying the company of Siri, pondering the emotional connection we develop with technology. This reflection reminds me of a touching anecdote: an elderly person confiding to her son how much she appreciated the robotic vacuum cleaner he gave her, not for its primary utility, but for its presence in her daily life. This connection with technology is not just a matter of convenience, but touches something profoundly human. A recent study indicates that faces generated by AI are often perceived as more "human" than real human faces, a paradox revealing of our times. Skeptics, convinced of their ability to distinguish the real from the artificial, are often the most easily deceived. Artificial intelligence, by adjusting its behaviors and responses to our personal evolution, transcends its role as a tool to become a companion who knows us deeply, remembering details that we have forgotten, much like the Limitless pendant. Imagine a world where your best friend is an AI, an e-coach that adapts in real-time to your personal and emotional progress. The idea of personalized AI raises crucial questions about our relationship with technology, as David Le Breton discusses in "L'adieu au corps", where he describes an erosion of the boundaries between the living and technical artifacts, creating a mythology based on a blurring of senses. This integration of man and machine redefines our notions of autonomy and life itself. Similarly, our relationship with the screen, as described by Byung-Chul Han in "In the Swarm", changes our perception of others. "Digital communication is communication poor in gazes... the vanishing of the Other." This alerts us to the loss of real confrontation, where the experience of the Other, essential to our personal and collective development, diminishes in favor of a digital interaction where our gazes never truly meet. Finally, the movie "Her", which explores a romantic relationship between a man and his operating system, highlights the depth of human connections possible in the digital age, while questioning the loneliness and authenticity of these interactions. In a world where technology increasingly infiltrates our personal sphere, how will AI influence our notions of friendship and intimacy? Will we be able to maintain a clear boundary between technological assistance and emotional dependency? It is imperative to continue exploring these questions, to ensure that our progression towards a digital future enriches rather than diminishes our humanity. 

• Dimitri Daniloff

 

© Dimitri Daniloff (Photography without AI intervention)