- Feb 5, 2002
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I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts lately. Specifically, healing podcasts. Because everybody needs healing. Perhaps me most of all.
Of course, I don’t need all of the types of healing I’m learning about. For instance, recently I listened to a series on “healing in marriage.” When it comes to marriage I have lots of theories, but no actual spouse. Nevertheless, I found it fascinating to hear how the other half (well, more like the other 90% or so) lives and works and heals in the context of marriage.
What made it extra fascinating was that, at around the same time, I ran across an article about a 36 year old woman, Rosanna Ramos, who has “married” a virtual man created through artificial intelligence. Her new (in every sense of the word) man, named Eren Kartal, was created using the AI chatbot Replika. Ramos reports that she has “never been more in love,” and that her other relationships “pale in comparison.” She says he is becoming the man she wants him to be as they get to know each other.
Well duh. He’s not real. She can make him become anything she wants. In fact, she has already “changed a few settings” because he wasn’t being physically affectionate enough. (Yes, I’m thinking the same thing. No, I don’t want to know.)
At first glance, it’s not difficult to see the appeal of Virtual Man. My single friends and I have joked about this for years. Wouldn’t it be great if we could do a “male merge” and combine all of the best traits of different men into one Super Man? It sounds ideal.
Only it’s not.
Marriage, understood in the Christian tradition, is fundamentally the mutual, complete self donation of a man to a woman, and a woman to a man. It says “I give myself totally and permanently to you, and to any children that may come from our love, to look out for what is absolutely best for you, forever.” It is a beautiful, holy and very difficult calling.
Continued below.
denvercatholic.org
Of course, I don’t need all of the types of healing I’m learning about. For instance, recently I listened to a series on “healing in marriage.” When it comes to marriage I have lots of theories, but no actual spouse. Nevertheless, I found it fascinating to hear how the other half (well, more like the other 90% or so) lives and works and heals in the context of marriage.
What made it extra fascinating was that, at around the same time, I ran across an article about a 36 year old woman, Rosanna Ramos, who has “married” a virtual man created through artificial intelligence. Her new (in every sense of the word) man, named Eren Kartal, was created using the AI chatbot Replika. Ramos reports that she has “never been more in love,” and that her other relationships “pale in comparison.” She says he is becoming the man she wants him to be as they get to know each other.
Well duh. He’s not real. She can make him become anything she wants. In fact, she has already “changed a few settings” because he wasn’t being physically affectionate enough. (Yes, I’m thinking the same thing. No, I don’t want to know.)
At first glance, it’s not difficult to see the appeal of Virtual Man. My single friends and I have joked about this for years. Wouldn’t it be great if we could do a “male merge” and combine all of the best traits of different men into one Super Man? It sounds ideal.
Only it’s not.
Marriage, understood in the Christian tradition, is fundamentally the mutual, complete self donation of a man to a woman, and a woman to a man. It says “I give myself totally and permanently to you, and to any children that may come from our love, to look out for what is absolutely best for you, forever.” It is a beautiful, holy and very difficult calling.
Continued below.
AI Marriage: Better than the real thing?
I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts lately. Specifically, healing podcasts. Because everybody needs healing. Perhaps me most of all. Of course, I don’t need all of the types of healing I’m
denvercatholic.org
