Scarlett Johansson in 'Her' is moving from fiction to reality

Howard Gray -

Scarlett Johansson’s character in the movie ‘Her’ is about to get very real. You can now create your own AI Romantic Companion.

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A new company called Digi has released an app where you can custom design a partner and enter into a romantic relationship. The idea is that a relationship progresses over time (starting as ‘friends’, then gaining more intimate actions and dialogue as you progress).

It’s pretty sophisticated: 

  • The characters have been created by veteran animators from Pixar
  • You can configure hair, skin, eyes, lips, etc.
  • The app has its own voice model - there should 20 different voices available in the next month

But these are just features. What about the impact? 

  • Is this a useful tool for people to practice their social skills (especially young men interacting with women)? 
  • Could it provide a valuable additional  outlet for people in human partnerships? (the founders are suggesting it does)
  • Will it push people even further away from other humans?
  • And who’s designing the models that the characters run on?

I’m sure this will make the founders a ton of cash, but... there’s a lot to unpack here, shall we say.

What’s your take?