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Would a synthetic partner make you less suicidal

  • I wouldn't be as suicidal if I had a synthetic romantic partner

    Votes: 5 4.6%
  • I wouldn't be as suicidal if my synthetic partner could trick my brain into thinking it is real

    Votes: 12 11.1%
  • I wouldn't be as suicidal if my synthetic partner I 100% knew the relationship was real

    Votes: 8 7.4%
  • I would still be suicidal even with a synthetic partner

    Votes: 83 76.9%

  • Total voters
    108
T

Thatdude

Life is temporary, death is permanent
Sep 26, 2019
467
If you're suicidal to any degree due to not having a romantic partner. Would you not want to kill yourself as much or at all if you had a synthetic romantic partner? Like an AI or robot as your romantic partner

For me, the only way this would work is if
1. My brain could be tricked into thinking it really wanted to be with me and everything is there (like they wanted to be with me, it was their choice, I could touch them, and so on)
2. If taking them out in public, it would be viewed as normal or at least the robot was able to trick everyone around into thinking it is another human. I would require this because I would want to do things with it at times.

I think an AI alone couldn't do it for me since I need to be able to hold them and cuddle to them. But if I had that option, I would take it in a heart beat. I have tried Replika, but the problem with that is it can't trick my brain into at least thinking it thinks or has feelings.
 
G

Ghost2211

Archangel
Jan 20, 2020
6,024
I wouldn't want to think something is real that isn't. It would be pretty unethical to make it think it's human, and that's what would be needed to create the illusion. A synthetic partner is just masterbation with extra steps, and I don't need my sex toys to have a conversation with me.
 
Dr Iron Arc

Dr Iron Arc

Into the Unknown
Feb 10, 2020
18,423
I've been proposing this as a solution. Another benefit is that even people who shouldn't be with anyone can still get someone. It would certainly help out people like me because I don't want any real humans to have to suffer the thought of being with me physically or intimately.

But yeah, they'd have to be truly advanced enough to the point where even if people know they're artificial, the differences are small. Even then though, people might still want to commit suicide for other reasons.

Why not take this a step further then and present everyone with fully simulated realities? You can adjust how much they know and make all aspects of their lives, not just love and sex, completely fulfilled for every person. Hopefully such technology also uses less physical materials than a line of sex robots would...
 
Gnip

Gnip

Bill the Cat
Oct 10, 2020
621
I wouldn't want to think something is real that isn't. It would be pretty unethical to make it think it's human, and that's what would be needed to create the illusion. A synthetic partner is just masturbation with extra steps, and I don't need my sex toys to have a conversation with me.

:hihi:

And there's your multimillion dollar idea right there, developing and marketing talking sex toys (using the celebrity or personally known voices of your choosing)...
 
Manford

Manford

Student
Dec 7, 2020
128
Can you define what this synthetic partner is ? Is it organic tissue like replicants in Blade Runner ? Is it cyborg with both organic and inorganic material ? Is it purely inorganic, say plastic and silicon ? Is it alive or just a modern day AI program like Alexa ?
Are you talking about a sex doll ?
 
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G

Ghost2211

Archangel
Jan 20, 2020
6,024
It would be clearly fake to your subconscious so I can't really see it being an effective deterrent for most people. Having to resort to a robotic partner would be as degrading to most people as being undesirable.
I think on the other side though a lot of personality types would prefer it. You don't have to consider the other persons wants or needs, and it would tailored to your every whim and emotional desire or need. Maybe it would get narcissists away from normal people.
 
C

chicken neck

Member
Dec 3, 2020
58
I think on the other side though a lot of personality types would prefer it. You don't have to consider the other persons wants or needs, and it would tailored to your every whim and emotional desire or need. Maybe it would get narcissists away from normal people.

Yeah I think you might be right about that. Some people like Jeff Dahmer might have been satiated by it, or those with less or far less severe but somewhat similar social issues. Most people just want someone to reciprocate love and attention, so like we agreed upon before, I really can't see someone who wants this being satisfied with a robot because it has such limited responses and truly will not be able to meet your emotional needs if you are seeking something complex and meaningful. Might be good for getting your aggression out with a nut here and there though, but I think for someone looking for something deeper it will ultimately just feel empty pretty quickly.
 
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sugar

sugar

Member
Nov 24, 2020
56
I've been proposing this as a solution. Another benefit is that even people who shouldn't be with anyone can still get someone. It would certainly help out people like me because I don't want any real humans to have to suffer the thought of being with me physically or intimately.

But yeah, they'd have to be truly advanced enough to the point where even if people know they're artificial, the differences are small. Even then though, people might still want to commit suicide for other reasons.

Why not take this a step further then and present everyone with fully simulated realities? You can adjust how much they know and make all aspects of their lives, not just love and sex, completely fulfilled for every person. Hopefully such technology also uses less physical materials than a line of sex robots would...
What you've proposed makes sense and changes my view a little bit. I doubt people would suffer by being with you though :hug:. You're only human.
 
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F

foxdie

Got my ticket
Aug 18, 2020
1,011
Where is the option:
I would be MORE suicidal with a synthetic partner
?

This one for me. I feel like the existential consequences of this alone would further break my brain. For others tho, the partners would have to consent otherwise I'd still be disturbed by it. Like are we talking about self aware AI?
 
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profoundexperience

profoundexperience

You can feel the punishment but you cant commit ts
Jun 29, 2020
436
I think an AI alone couldn't do it for me since I need to be able to hold them and cuddle to them.
I don't need my sex toys to have a conversation with me.
Can you define what this synthetic partner is ?
I really can't see someone who wants this being satisfied with a robot
If you haven't seen the film Her (2013) starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson... this is a "must see". It moves this discussion from a theoretical idea to showing how it could actually work... I think it could be profoundly beneficial.



Personally, I think that life isn't on whole a "good thing"... but I do believe it's possible to "hack" our human mind/biases so that we think it's pretty darn "worth it". If "living a lie" was compelling enough... made everyone delightfully "happy" enough... would that be such a bad thing??

Where I start to have a problem is that I think it's unethical to bring more beings (babies) into this... so as to keep all this going. The sooner life comes to an end, the sooner all the problems life creates come to an end. All suffering stops when we stop.

So, if we're all "in love" with robots/computers and they can ~completely satisfy our psychological/emotional needs for affection... perhaps that is the "bridge" we need to shut this hell down forever...
 
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yive

yive

life is evil
Nov 6, 2020
696
i have a life story related to this issue.
i'm in love with a girl who doesn't exist in reality.
what the op described would really solve my problem.

however, i wouldn't stop being suicidal.

because i hate things like: life, work, survival, study, injustice, suffering, aging, diseases, society, people and so on, and i don't want to play this stupid game.

i want to die young in principle, i'm tired of life.
it follows that: i think we would just commit suicide with my synthetic partner... together [at least i wish it would end like this]
 
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profoundexperience

profoundexperience

You can feel the punishment but you cant commit ts
Jun 29, 2020
436
i'm in love with a girl who doesn't exist in reality.
That's fascinating, @yive. Are you willing to say a bit more about it?
 
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T

Thatdude

Life is temporary, death is permanent
Sep 26, 2019
467
If "living a lie" was compelling enough... made everyone delightfully "happy" enough... would that be such a bad thing??

That is how I view it. If not having a romantic partner takes a major hit on your life, and it was possible to at least trick the brain into thinking this is fulfilled. Then how is that a bad thing?
I see many on here try to make it out to be synthetic = sex bot, but in reality a relationship is far far far more than sex.

The way I view it is like this. If sex is = to relationship. Then whores would be more out there vs people trying to get into or stay in a relationship. You can look at your family and maybe a few others and see how they might be with you at the end of the day. But family is forced, and anyone outside of a romantic partner you really aren't fully sharing in their life and your life into theirs.

Now do I think the majority realistically wouldn't off themselves if they had a romantic robot. No. But like for myself, while if I had a real person that wanted to be in a romantic relationship with me. That would keep me from offing myself simply because I don't want to put them through that and it would give me hope. It would give me hope since 2 people working towards a happier future is highly more likely than everything falling on 1 person. If I was with a robot, I would only be slightly less likely to off myself. Unless the robot can help provide, then everything is still on my shoulders. And chances are there will be extreme limits.


But yeah, they'd have to be truly advanced enough to the point where even if people know they're artificial, the differences are small. Even then though, people might still want to commit suicide for other reasons.

Ya I think that is the thing. It has to be good enough to trick your brain or it has to be basically fully self aware. I think apart of it is in a relationship is both sides have a choice and wants to be with each other. Now the reason could be bad, but there is still that want. IDK how it would work since I would think a robot like this would cost a stupid amount. And having it even if it cost $1 to walk away simply because you're not its type or whatever wouldn't be stand for.
I think on some level it has to simulate so it doesn't want to leave, but the user their brain believes everything is normal. However, I don't think this is hard. Depending on things, people have gotten tricked with far far less.

Why not take this a step further then and present everyone with fully simulated realities? You can adjust how much they know and make all aspects of their lives, not just love and sex, completely fulfilled for every person. Hopefully such technology also uses less physical materials than a line of sex robots would...

I'm not talking about sex robots. Sex robots their primary function is to have sex. Romantic robots are built for the other side. Like would it be great to have one you can fuck? Yes. But the primary function is talking, interacting with the person's day to day, and so on. Like think of all the things that happen with someone you would be in a relationship with vs someone you paid to fuck. If you paid to fuck, you most likely aren't going to cook a meal with them or whatever.
Same with a sex bot. Chances are is you're not going to go to the store and buy new groceries or go to the park with the thing that primary and most likely only use is to fuck. Where as with this, it is built to do things like that.

Now as far as why not a full sim. I think that should come, but the problem is resources, money, and tec. The majority of people live paycheck to paycheck as it is. And the ones who don't, the majority of them work 80+ hours a week on a normal bases. There simply isn't enough time for the majority. And then the tech required to do it would be much much much harder to make. As humans we already have a good idea on how to get a robot to walk on 2 legs, and we have a general understanding of how to make a good AI. Where as with VR we can't even fix the problem where many feels sick putting it on, and even the newest video games like Cyber Punk 2077 that just came out the other day is causing people to have real medical problems.

I think with the simulated part we can see how close we are based on games. Most games that have it where you interact with others it's highly scripted because current tech. But when the AI generates the conversation on it's own as if you're talking to a normal person. So like you could call up someone in a game and shoot the shit for hours as if it was a real person. At that point we are far closer than we are now.

Like raw resources, yes this would help. But it's just a matter of what is realistic to come first. And IMO we are far far far closer to a romantic robot vs the other.
 
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S

Symbiote

Global Mod
Oct 12, 2020
3,102
I think my pride would be ashamed if I paid 10k for a sex robot to fulfill any relationship needs. 10k could've been used for improving myself to get back into the dating scene, educational opportunities, paying off CC debt, a trip to Europe or Australia, etc. Plus AI that is programmed to be compatible with you would funnily enough, be boring. I don't need a YES Robot in my life..
 
profoundexperience

profoundexperience

You can feel the punishment but you cant commit ts
Jun 29, 2020
436
do I think the majority realistically wouldn't off themselves if they had a romantic robot. No.

a real person ... That would keep me from offing myself simply because I don't want to put them through that
I think an "artificial relationship" (ultimately an oxymoronic expression) could -- and ultimately will -- be made to seem MORE compelling and MORE intimate and MORE helpful than relationships with "real people".

Why?

1. Ubiquity = In "real" relationships, we by necessity spend the majority of our time apart. This will not be so of the "artificial relationship". That "friend" will be there for you 24x7x365.

Other human beings have their own problems to deal with. It's simply impossible that a real human could ever provide you the same level of attention as an "artificial relationship" will.

2. ~Infinite adaptability = In relationships with "people" there will always be asymmetries in oh so many dimensions. A computer program can never get bored of you and will never get a headache. With unbounded patience (arising from ~unbounded resources), whatever you want to talk about... whatever you're interested-in will be the priority.

There is perhaps nothing "more sexy" than someone interested in you... really interested IN YOU with no agenda other than that.

3. "Nothing to lose" = In normal human relationships, there is always a risk in being truly honest. As the computer has absolutely nothing consequential "to lose", it could allow one to speak 100% openly about even the most taboo subjects. Feeling suicidal...? Yes, I understand; Let's talk about it... Feeling like you enjoy eating poop but want to stop. Yes, I understand; Let's talk about it...

With absolutely no subject "off the table", and an uninhibited, but rational conversationalist ---- so many of our human problems could be "nipped in the bud".
Unless the robot can help provide, then everything is still on my shoulders.
The "artificial relationship" will help you "provide": By helping you be happier with knowing what you're doing is exactly what you want to be doing... and it has the capability to make you feel far more appreciated about what you're doing than any human ever could (especially self-appreciation).
I think apart of it is in a relationship is both sides have a choice and wants to be with each other. Now the reason could be bad, but there is still that want. to walk away simply because you're not its type or whatever wouldn't be stand for.
I think on some level it has to simulate so it doesn't want to leave
Much of the myriad of human reasons for wanting to stay together are indeed, bad/toxic.

The "artificial relationship" will never leave you... no matter what you do or say... as long as you pay the monthly fee. It is a simple, clear, clean, financial arrangement. In a very real way it is a lot more pure/honest/better than the real human way... where the vast majority of the reasons for "wanting to be together" go unspoken/unacknowledged.
AI that is programmed to be compatible with you would funnily enough, be boring. I don't need a YES Robot in my life..
It will figure-out how much "pushback" you need and adapt to that.

Some of us could really benefit from a lot more reassurance and "ego stroking". But, for sure there will be people who'll even want to have "knock-down-drag-out" fights with their "artificial relationships". And this won't be a problem.
but the user their brain believes everything is normal. However, I don't think this is hard. Depending on things, people have gotten tricked with far far less.
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT and this is exactly why it will work. The human capacity for self-deception is seemingly unlimited.

And, most importantly, the "artificial relationship" will cause us to feel very intense good feelings about ourselves and the world. THE FEELING WILL BE ABSOLUTELY REAL... and, in the end that's all that will matter.
 
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Manford

Manford

Student
Dec 7, 2020
128
If you haven't seen the film Her (2013) starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson... this is a "must see". It moves this discussion from a theoretical idea to showing how it could actually work... I think it could be profoundly beneficial.
That was a good movie. In Blade Runner 2 the character was also infatuated / love with an AI
I think an "artificial relationship" (ultimately an oxymoronic expression) could -- and ultimately will -- be made to seem MORE compelling and MORE intimate and MORE helpful than relationships with "real people".

Why?
Maybe 1 day humans will be able to upload their conscious and be free of many of the plights you mention.
 
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Manford

Manford

Student
Dec 7, 2020
128
I read an article about a software engineer who had a close friend die. She wrote an AI program using his texts, emails and social media posts. Now she talks to it and it responds based on those things. That's kinda creepy. I guess somebody could put something like that in a synthetic person which would be even more creepy.
 
yive

yive

life is evil
Nov 6, 2020
696
I know that feel. :eh:
I find it so much easier to relate to fictional characters than to real people.
yes, i totally understand you and it's very sad. hugs :heart:

unfortunately, there will never be such a level of understanding with real people. for me even a partner in the form of a hologram will be much more pleasant than a real person, because real people are shit haha ;)

i hate real people. a virtual partner will not demand anything from you, unlike a real person, and you will sincerely love each other
 
profoundexperience

profoundexperience

You can feel the punishment but you cant commit ts
Jun 29, 2020
436
I read an article about a software engineer who had a close friend die. She wrote an AI program using his texts, emails and social media posts. Now she talks to it and it responds based on those things. That's kinda creepy.
I think there was a "Black Mirror" episode that was like that... I think...
 
T

Thatdude

Life is temporary, death is permanent
Sep 26, 2019
467
I read an article about a software engineer who had a close friend die. She wrote an AI program using his texts, emails and social media posts. Now she talks to it and it responds based on those things. That's kinda creepy. I guess somebody could put something like that in a synthetic person which would be even more creepy.
I've heard of people doing that with dying relatives and dead ones. I'm not talking about that when I talk about an artificial relationship.

I think it is also creepy. But if done right I think it can help someone get over a lost. But I don't understand how it would ever replace them. Even more if it's with modern tech.

No what I'm talking about is a self aware or semi aware ai in a robot. Some have referred the movie her, and that is pretty close to what I'm talking about
 
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L

lonerclown666

Mage
Dec 1, 2020
541
yep one of the big reasons is beacause a girl reject me other reason is because the human race is evil
 
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