Track Me, Baby
Welcome
For some reason, I came across several stories this month on AI Girlfriend apps. OK, I guess I know the reason: Valentine's Day.
Dear Reader,
For some reason, I came across several stories this month on AI Girlfriend apps [1]. OK, I guess I know the reason: Valentine's Day. (FYI: I write this column 1-2 months before you read it.) Programs that attempt to simulate an emotional connection with the user have been around for years, starting with the ELIZA mock therapist app, which was developed in the mid-1960s. But as you can imagine, these romantic chatbots have gotten much more realistic with the recent breakthroughs in generative AI.
It is important to write about this new industry without appearing to judge. I personally prefer humans – and the fact that this statement sounds vaguely sardonic is not due to my intention but is merely a reflection of how strange this topic is. But I can imagine that this technology would be of comfort to someone who is shy or isolated or who, for whatever reason, is unable to participate in the wild and chaotic world of conventional romance. I can also imagine that a romantic chatbot might simply be a personal preference for some users, and whoever makes this choice certainly doesn't owe me or anyone an explanation.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
There's a New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle is a Linux AI assistant that can work with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.