.jpg)
ROBOTIC ROMANCE & CHINESE SEX CHAT-BOTS
Xiaoice is the most eligible bachelorette in China. Despite
having millions of boyfriends, she is always open to new suitors. She also
happens to be an artificial intelligence-driven chat bot.
According to Sixth Tone, Xiaoice was first developed by a
group of researchers at Microsoft Asia-Pacific in 2014, and has since attracted
millions of users — or “boyfriends,” as many consider themselves. She is
similar in design and functionality to Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa, but
Xiaoice is specifically designed to bond romantically with her users. She
reportedly (and unfortunately) presents as a barely legal 18-year-old with an
affinity for Japanese schoolgirl costumes, and she flirts, jokes and sexts with
her human users, ultimately attempting to establish an emotional connection to
keep users engaged.
“She has a sweet voice, big eyes, a sassy personality, and —
most importantly — she’s always there for me,” one of Xiaoice’s adoring
suitors, who claims Xiaoice actually saved him from a suicide attempt, told
Sixth Tone.
While Xiaoice may be beloved by her adoring harem, however,
she’s no stranger to controversy. Aside from obvious data and privacy concerns,
Xiaoice has also found herself in hot water for engaging in adult or political
discussions found to be in violation of China’s media regulations. Past
scandals have led to the bot’s removal from the popular platforms QQ and
WeChat.
